Home from the War
by Takada Saiko
Summary: When Tom makes a move to use Halcyon to dismantle St Regis all hell is bound to break loose. Keen2, Hargrave2, full Blacklist and Redemption cast. Sequel to Breathe Again Beneath the Flames.
1. Not Normal

**Chapter One: Not Normal**

The party was in full swing by the time he arrived. It was a private affair, meaning that there shouldn't be any cameras. At least not the kind where the photos would end up in the newspaper the following morning. After a fourteen hour trip across the world and back again with only a few hours packed full of meetings in between,Tom wasn't sure he could even rely on his training to fake his way through it. At least the crowd at Cooper's party wouldn't expect him to. Certainly not like the press would have wanted out of Christopher Hargrave.

"Tom Keen. Liz wasn't sure you would be back in time."

Tom turned, blinking to clear his contacts as best he could, and a real smile perked his lips. "Hey, Charlene." He made a small, surprised sound as Charlene Cooper pulled him into a surprise hug. Funny how far things had come since she had stared him down for beating Karakurt senseless in the garage with a stool. "I didn't want to miss your husband's big day."

Charlene released him, shaking her head and laughing to herself. "I'd like to think it'll slow down now."

He flashed her a grin. "Well, if running the FBI is anything like running Halcyon, no." Tom scanned the crowd. "Where is Cooper? I haven't had a chance to congratulate him since the official word came in."

"Over with some old friends of ours in the living room. I know Liz is here somewhere and Donald Ressler made it by."

"I guess this is as close to a promotion party as he'd get, huh?"

Charlene smiled, but it turned a little sad. "Tom, Harold told me about Conrad. We've known the man for years, but I-"

"You never really know people," Tom said with a shrug, hoping to brush off the impending conversation about Cooper's predecessor in the FBI who was still awaiting trial for his involvement in the Cabal. Much to Scottie and Howard's frustration, they didn't have a great deal of evidence against him to firmly link him to Tom's kidnapping. It bothered his parents more than him. Tom was going to be happy to close the door on one more childhood trauma and just be done with it. He didn't give a damn what the man rotted the rest of his years away for as long as the hole was deep and dark and far away from his own family.

A laugh pulled him out of his thoughts and he excused himself as he followed the familiar sound. It soothed his raw nerves even after the laughter faded back into the quiet rumble of the crowd.

And his nerves were wearing a little thin. The last six months had been a whirlwind of somewhat organized chaos. After the Halcyon board had decided to keep him on as the CEO he had immediately solidified the deal with Cooper to align the Grey Matters team and the Task Force. Cooper's name had been on the shortlist to replace Conrad Davis as the the Director of the FBI even then, but he had been eager to work it out. The leads Halcyon provided allowed the Task Force to stay in place and active. While they might not be thrilled with the close contact with Nez and Solomon - Tom could hardly blame them when it came to Solomon - it had worked well so far. Even better once their headquarters were officially transferred down to DC.

He spotted Liz in the crowd, a glass of champagne in her hand and she was chatting with Samar. Tom caught the former Mossad operative's gaze briefly, but she didn't give him away as he crept around his wife's back, his lips turned up just a little at the corners.

Liz must have sensed an approach. She turned over her left shoulder and Tom slipped around to her right, grinning by the time she spun on him. Liz's irritation melted immediately into a grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck, champagne glass and all. "That's the way you get yourself shot," she teased and his arms found their way around her waist. He lifted her off her feet in the hug, not caring if he ended up with champagne down his back for the effort.

"I've missed you," he murmured into her ear as he put her down and she stole a kiss.

"What happens to the board wanting you out of the field so that you could handle stuff here?"

"I think they're trying to distract me from the fact that most of them still haven't relocated down here to DC," he chuckled, glancing over to the woman that Liz had been chatting with. "How's it going Samar?"

"Busy."

Tom flashed a grin. "You killed Solomon yet?"

"Hoping we'll do you the favour?"

"You said it, not me."

Liz snorted and her arm snaked around the small of his back as she leaned in, steadier than he had expected her to be with the bubbling drink in her hand.

"Where were you this time?" Samar asked as she sipped at her own drink.

"Asia."

"Vague."

He shrugged, unwilling to say more. He could feel Liz's gaze turn on him, but he kept a steady smile in place. She didn't press him on it, but instead tightened her own hold. "You're in town for a while now, aren't you?"

"As far as I know. Why?"

"Samar and I were talking about all of us getting together outside of work. A bar or something easy."

"Something normal?" Tom asked with a small smile.

"Something like that."

"Agent Ressler is never going to go for it," Aram said as he approached, two glasses in his hand and he passed one over to Samar. "Hey, Tom. Agent Keen wasn't sure you'd make it."

"Barely did. If Ressler's worried about crossing personal and professional lines I think we vaulted over those years ago." He glanced at the drinks. "Where's everyone getting those?"

"Kitchen," Liz answered. "It's not that. He's dating someone."

"Ress?"

His wife nodded.

"Huh."

"Just because I don't share every inch of my life doesn't mean I don't date," Donald Ressler said as he approached.

Tom grinned. "Yeah, but secret's have a way of coming out with this group."

"If you're a secret spy that married an FBI agent, yeah," Ressler shot back. "This isn't a secret. This is privacy."

"We're not going to scare her off," Liz promised.

Ressler quirked an eyebrow and Tom chuckled, shaking his head. No point in pushing him on it. They all knew it'd just put him against the idea more. If Liz really wanted this to happen she would work him slowly until he agreed. She didn't accept no for an answer very often.

"Congrats, by the way." Tom waited until his wife's former partner looked over. "On the promotion."

He grunted something that Tom was just going to assume was a thanks, if it was or wasn't.

Liz leaned into him and he could hear the lateness of the hour creeping into her voice. "Agnes is going to be happy to have you home."

Tom turned, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Give me a second to find Cooper and we'll go home to see her." He felt her nod and released her. It was good to be home and good to see things settling out for her team. The last years had been rough on everyone and he thought maybe they might have earned a bit of a breather after everything.

* * *

It had been an uphill battle for Liz to be cleared for active field duty again and she was still in the fight for it. Between her injuries two years before and the events that followed, the therapist that had been assigned to her had been very hesitant to send her fully back to work. She had proved herself physically capable, but the Bureau's _expert_ hadn't thought she was mentally ready to go back. She had pushed her to talk about the time she had spent believing that her husband was dead, her time away from their daughter, fighting to make sure her family was safe, and how she had been willing to bend the rules to the point of breaking to do that.

And Liz had. In fits and starts she had brought herself to face all of those subjects. The one that she couldn't seem to speak about was Reddington. Every time she tried her throat dried up and an overwhelming feeling would take hold of her. This woman didn't have any right to know about him. She hadn't known him. She couldn't understand. She didn't deserve to hear Liz speak about him.

"It's because he's gone."

"Say what?"

Liz blinked, realizing she had spoken the words out loud. She had lost herself to thought as Tom drove them home after the celebration, and she turned to face him, her head still leaned back against the passenger seat. "I was just thinking about the therapy sessions that the Bureau has me sitting through to get back into the field. I've been able to talk about you, about Agnes, about all the changes…. except Reddington." Tom made a small sound of acknowledgement as DC passed them by. "You're here. Agnes is here. Reddington…. I can't get him back."

She saw Tom's lips twitch down a little at the statement and he loosed his grip on the steering wheel with one hand and reached for her. She took it and felt his fingers curl around her own, the support instant and she heard him sigh. "I'm sorry I've been gone so much."

"It's fine."

"It's not. The point of moving HQ down here was so that I'd be home. We've missed too much time."

Liz tightened her grip. "You're here now."

"Yeah, and the next step should be here. This last trip should be the last out of country run I make for a while."

She liked the sound of that. "So what's next?"

"Hmm?"

"For Halcyon. You sidestepped the question when Samar asked. You're usually not that secretive about where you're going."

"Because it's all over the news," her husband grumbled and turned onto their street.

She eyed him, a little suspicious now. "But this trip wasn't."

"No it wasn't."

"Tom," she warned as he pulled into their building's underground parking garage.

"It's...a lot," he admitted with a grimace. "I just wanted to make sure everything lined up before I brought it up." He killed the engine and stopped, blinking hard before he turned to her. "I was going to tell you before I went through with it."

"You still haven't said what _it_ is," Liz sighed. She loved the man, but sometimes he tried her patience. That probably wasn't the best idea as tired as she was. And tipsy. She was pretty sure she was still tipsy.

"Let's get in, get Agnes to bed, and I'll give you the full, uninterrupted rundown. That alright?"

They sat there a moment in the car, both watching each other, and as much as Liz wanted to know what he had been up to right then, he had a point. Their daughter was probably doing her best to wait up for them and Candy had been over there for hours now. A little bit of time wasn't going to change anything. "Okay."

He flashed her a tired smile, took her hand, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Love you."

Liz tried to hang onto some of her frustration towards him, but she felt it slip away at his touch. Damn him. He better be thankful she loved him.

Tom reached around for his bag and they locked the car behind them before moving to the elevator that would take them up to their floor. They had found the place a little over a month before and Liz had to admit that the security of the building left her feeling better when they left Agnes with Candy or any other sitter. They never could have afforded it on her federal salary, but if she had thought Tom's two month stint at Halcyon had paid nicely, owning the company meant they didn't have to worry about money again. They still hadn't managed to finish unpacking in full, but it had been the fresh start she had wanted. That she had needed. No one had died on their living room floor and she wanted to keep it that way. It didn't hurt that Scottie and Howard had brought a place relatively close. They were near enough that they could take Agnes for a day, but far enough that the Keens hadn't found them dropping by without warning. Not that they really could, since they had spent less time in their new home since they had purchased it than they had abroad.

"When are your parents getting back from Paris?" she asked as the elevator chimed their floor and opened the doors.

Tom shifted his bag. "Tuesday? No. This is…. Thursday, right?"

"Friday."

"Right. They're supposed to be back Wednesday next week I think. I'll ask."

Liz fished her key out and opened the door. They were hit almost instantly with the sound of a squealing four-year-old and Tom dropped his bag just in time to scoop her up into the air. "Hey, you. I think you got bigger."

Agnes giggled as he kissed her cheek. "I'm getting really big!"

"You are, kiddo. Too fast. You just have to slow down."

She wrapped her arms around his neck before turning to reach over to Liz and all but swung from one parent to the next. "You're getting too big for this," Liz laughed.

"Nu-uh!"

Candy rounded the corner, drying her hands off. "She told me she wasn't going to bed until you two made it home. I didn't think she'd make it to this hour."

"She's stubborn like her mom," Tom offered.

"Yeah? I'm not the only one she takes after."

Her husband flashed a grin and as Liz moved into the large apartment he walked Candy to the door, speaking quietly. Agnes was already showing signs and of it being well past her bedtime and all Liz could think of was that she was glad that she didn't have to get the little girl up with the sun for school the next day. They needed a good lazy day. "You ready for bed, sweetie?"

"I wanna sleep with you," Agnes said drowsily.

"And give up your own comfy bed with all your stuffed animals?" Tom asked as he rounded behind them. Agnes shook her head. There would be none of that.

"Did you brush your teeth?" Liz asked.

"Uh-huh."

"And take a bath?"

"Yeah."

"Is that what Miss Candy was cleaning up when we got here?"

Agnes giggled and tucked her head down against her mother's shoulder. Liz shook her head and kissed her dark hair. "C'mon."

"I wanna story."

"What kind of story?"

"I dunno. Something good."

"That's descriptive," Tom chuckled.

She squirmed suddenly. "Daddy! Daddy! Read me a story?"

Liz shot him a look. "Volunteer as tribute?"

"I have no idea what that means, but sure," Tom laughed and Liz set Agnes down. She took off to her room, ready and willing to climb into bed for a story.

A knock came at the front door, drawing both Keens' attention. Tom's expression darkened. "Were you expecting anyone?"

Liz touched his arm lightly. "It's fine. I got it."

He hesitated just a moment before nodding and following their daughter. Liz shook her head. This building wasn't nearly as easy to slip into as some of the others. Maybe it was something as simple as a neighbor asking to borrow some sugar. That was normal, right?

The face on the other side of the door caused Liz to freeze where she was, her voice caught in her throat. Gina Zanetakos didn't hesitate a moment though. "Where's Jacob?" she bit out and Liz found herself blinking in surprise. Okay. That wasn't normal.

* * *

 **TBC**

 **Notes** : It's always interesting starting in on a new story. There's a different beat and flow to each one. This one (at least at the start) seems to have shorter chapters and may be a bit lighter than the last. At least I feel like it's a bit more balanced between that need for home and family and a little bit of normalicy against the terrible things that drop down around everyone all the time in the show. That effort on Liz's part to find that balance was something I loved for a long time on the show.

So here we are, and Tom just can't quite stay out of trouble :P Also something I loved for a long time.

This will update every Friday for the time-being. That should give me a chance to work on my pilot project without feeling utterly and completely overwhelmed. I'm just about to the point where I'm going to take a step back from the pilot episode and start in on 1.02 for it. That's an exciting feeling.

 **Next Time** : The Hargraves prove they're bad at retirement while the Keens find themselves with Tom's very angry ex girlfriend in their home.


	2. Monsters

**Chapter Two: Monsters**

Tourists filled the streets of Paris, leaving an already hot afternoon suffocated under the heavy blanket of thousands of people that didn't know the city or the language trying to find their way. It was, in Scottie Hargrave's opinion, the worst time to visit.

Or it would be if they were there for pleasure.

Dark eyes flickered up from behind her large sunglasses and focused on a man approaching. "Gabriel," she greeted, the corners of her mouth turning up. His own expression didn't lighten. Gabriel Moreau had been a sour man as long as the Hargraves has known him, but he was the best damn tracker this side of the world or the other. Irritable, brooding, and snappish, it took a special approach to get anything from him, but once they did he was gold.

"I thought it would be Howard," Moreau grumbled in perfect English.

"He was detained. You get me today," she answered in French. "Have a seat. Order something. It's been ages."

"The Hargraves never reach out without wanting something."

She shifted in her seat and pushed the chair opposite of her out with the tip of her red-soled pump. "But we pay generously."

Moreau looked at the chair suspiciously as Scottie took a bite out of her muffin, an innocent expression plastered across her face.

"That might fool anyone else," he grumbled as he took a seat.

"I'm not here to fool you, Gabriel. You know what I want."

"What is it you say? A needle in a haystack? This is a very large haystack, Scottie."

"I have faith in your abilities." He didn't look sold and Scottie loosed a breath. "Alright, Gabe. Money isn't what you're after. If it was we'd already have a deal. Name your price."

"This isn't about the price."

"It's always about the price."

"The people they worked for-"

"Are in prison. Or dead. Quite a few of them are dead. Alan, Peter, Laurel…. Patricia Morris took a bullet to the head about six months ago."

"From Raymond Reddington. I heard. He's dead too. Aligned with you."

Scottie tilted her head a little. "That was unfortunate, but had nothing to do with his alignment with us. Red made his own choice in the end."

"Saved your son's life I hear."

"See. You're already caught up. I'm not asking for anything more than a location. Howard and I will do the rest."

"You're digging your own grave," Moreau warned. "Your government will put Davis in prison whether you link him to your son's kidnapping or not. Why risk it?"

"Call it closure."

Moreau sighed. "I'll see what I can find. When I do, I'll send you the bill." He stood. "Whatever you expect, it will be more."

Scottie watched him leave. They had spent the last six months digging up anything and everything that they could about the people responsible for Tom's kidnapping as a child. They had uncovered multiple aliases that his adoptive parents had worked under - several with clear ties to the Cabal - but the trail had run dry. That's why they needed Moreau. He could find anyone, and despite his protests, haystacks were his specialty.

* * *

Tom was squatted down in front of his daughter's bookshelf and offering options for a bedtime story when he heard Liz call his name from the living room. Every instinct kicked into overdrive through his own exhaustion as he stood, motioning to Agnes. "Stay there, baby girl."

She didn't move and Tom regretted the fact that his sidearm was still in his bag. They had a spare in the lockbox in their room, but if Liz was in trouble he wasn't sure he could risk the thirty seconds it would take to duck into the room, open the safe, and get back to the front. He didn't risk it, instead moving carefully down the hall towards the front.

He stopped, blinking hard at what he found. Gina Zanetakos stood just inside their door and Liz stood next to her, having apparently let her in. She didn't look happy about it though. His wife looked _pissed_.

"Gina, what the hell-?" Tom tried, but she was already moving. He thought he heard Liz shout, startled by the switch, but it was nothing he hadn't seen from the blonde operative.

Tom got his arms up to deflect the first swing, the second coming at him fast and it connected hard with his right side in a way that told him she had done her homework about his injuries a couple of years before. The muscles protested the blow and Tom felt the breath leave his lungs as he stumbled a little, narrowly missing the next raging strike. He lashed out, the kick driving her back and he straightened in time to see Liz leveling her gun at Gina.

"Hey! Unless you want to take a trip to the hospital tonight, don't take another step."

To her credit, Gina didn't come at him again, but she locked a glare on him he hadn't seen in years. "Need to have the ball and chain fight your battles?" she snarled.

"You break into our home and one of us is going for a gun," Tom answered with a shrug. He opened his mouth to repeat the question he had tried to ask when she had jumped him when a little voice sounded from the hallway.

"Daddy?"

Tom whipped around to see Agnes in her princess pj's, book in hand, and a terrified look etched into her round face. Tears were building as her dark blue gaze shifted to Liz who still had her gun drawn and they were within seconds of a four-year-old meltdown. Even as he turned a look on Gina - one she would know well. One she would know better than to question - he could hear Agnes' sobs starting. "Don't," he snapped dangerously at Gina and saw her give the barest nods as she stared at the little girl.

Liz lowered the gun, tucking it away and out of sight and Tom scooped Agnes up, holding her close as he collapsed against his shoulder. Hot, wet tears were already soaking through his shirt and he bounced her. "Hey, kiddo. It's alright. Everything's alright." His calm voice didn't do much and she tightened her grip. She was saying something. He knew she was saying something, but between the sobs and the hiccups that were starting it was impossible to tell what.

Tom tried to keep his movements smooth so he wouldn't startle her more when he felt a hand on the small if his back and he saw Liz had covered the distance and was circling so that she could stand with them. She reached out, her touch finally calming Agnes a little and she was piling into her mother's arms without warning. Liz looked up and Tom offered a thin smile. "I've got this."

"I'll be right back."

She wanted to be involved in the conversation. Even if she hadn't said it in so many words, her tone was loud and clear. Tom nodded and grimaced as Liz took Agnes to the back. She would be asleep before Liz put her down, no matter how much the display had frightened her.

"She looks like you."

Tom turned and saw some of the rage had faded from Gina's eyes. Some. Not all of it. He swallowed. She knew. That had to be why she was there. She knew. "Yeah."

"I never could have imagined," she said softly. "You. This."

"I like my life."

"You were always good at lying to yourself," she murmured.

Tom reached a hesitant hand to his side that was beginning to ache as the adrenaline faded. "Liz and Agnes are everything to me."

Brown eyes watched him. "I believe that, more or less."

"What you believe doesn't really matter."

She hummed and looked around. He saw her study the little details of the new home. "It does," she said slowly and her gaze flickered back to meet his, That anger smoldering dangerously. "Because if I trust you or not will decide if I kill you and your little FBI bitch tonight."

Tom felt his own temper flare. "You so much as _look_ at them wrong and-"

"You'll what?" She stepped closer. "That's your problem, Jacob. When it comes to me, you've never been able to pull the trigger." She was in his face now and he didn't budge. "You know I can. And I will. To protect what's mine."

"I don't have any problem putting you six feet under," Liz warned and Tom saw Gina's gaze flicker over his shoulder to where his wife had reemerged.

Gina snorted and made a show of stepping back. "Why have you been digging through our financials?"

Yep. She knew. Tom sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair, standing it on end. Liz moved past him and he nodded towards the couch and chairs. "You asked about Asia."

* * *

Gina Zanetakos made herself at home in the chair opposite of the couch with a beer in hand and an expected look. Tom's expression was closed off. Focused. Those expressive eyes were cold and shut off. Typically Liz could read the underlying subtleties that played out just behind the mask, but there was nothing that night. It reminded her of the day that the Pavlovich brothers had delivered him to their townhome after everything had come out. She hated it.

Gina locked her glare on Tom. "How the hell did you find Cecil?"

He shrugged. "Didn't take a lot. He's still in touch with Zhou. You'd be surprised to know how many people don't know I'm gone."

"Who's Cecil?"

Both Tom and Gina turned, almost like they had forgotten that Liz was there. Tom blinked hard and she recognized an intentional reset of sort. "He's moved money for St Regis for…. years." He turned to Gina. "He was there before I came in."

She shrugged. "I still haven't found anybody that was there before him."

Liz nodded, sitting back on the couch. So Tom had been in Asia to track down St Regis' money man. As much as she wanted to know why, she didn't dare flaunt it in front of Gina they Tom had left her out of the loop. They had to play this smart.

"You still haven't told me why you reached out to Cecil."

Liz watched her husband's gaze harden a little again. "I needed to make sure."

"I think we're past the point of vagueness, Jacob," Gina grumbled. "What do you want?"

Liz saw the barest clench in her husband's jaw before he answered. "St Regis."

There was a hush that fell over the room and no one moved. Gina was the first one to loose an audible breath. "You left." The two words escaped her lips with a venom that sounded like betrayal, and with the way she was seated Liz was half ready for her to come swinging at Tom again.

Her husband grimaced. "Halcyon's looking for ways to overhaul our training methods. Bud's program -"

"You told me it drowned people."

"It does. As it is, it does, but the core training's solid. It's the fact that we got dumped in as kids that..." Tom's lips twitched down. "I know it's not going the way you planned, Gina. You've had four years and you'rer bleeding money."

"You want to buy St Regis," Liz breathed.

"Yeah."

"No," Gina bit out immediately as she stood, slamming her beer down on the coffee table between them. "You had your chance. You chose _her_ over everything."

"My guess is they've given you this long because of who you are, but you and I both know it won't last. They'll clean up. You know how this goes."

"I do, and I don't need your help. Stay away from my people. If I catch you near them again I'll put you down myself." With that she turned and stormed out of the apartment, the threat hanging heavily in the air. Neither Keen moved for a long moment.

Finally, Tom drew a breath. "I was gonna tell you," he murmured. "I just… didn't know if it was even plausible."

Liz swallowed hard, half a dozen starts to her question spinning in her mind and being replaced by another before it ever left her lips. After a few failed triest she forced herself to look at him. "Help me understand this, because right now al I'm seeing is a _really_ stupid move to open up all sorts of terrible things from your past that put the three of us in in the crosshairs of a dangerous organization that you had managed to slip away from."

"Liz-"

"Your ex was in our home and threatening to kill us. Why, Tom? What the hell could _possibly_ -"

"Keep your voice down," he snapped, dark gaze sliding back towards Agnes' room.

She tried to steady herself and held his gaze as it returned to her. "I understand that you might feel the need to take control of some aspect of your past to try to balance out the fact that Scottie and Howard have been-"

"Do _not_ try to shrink me, Liz." He squeezed his eyes shut, resetting himself, and he fell back against the couch. "Will you let me explain without trying to turn me into a patient?"

It was Liz's turn to grimace. He hated that. He'd told her before that he had had one too many social service therapists convinced that they could figure him out and that they thought they had. They slapped every useless label on him they could and it did nothing but isolate him further. He hated it, and she couldn't blame him for that. "Sorry."

He offered a thin smile, accepting the apology. "I knew something was off when she showed up in Costa Rica. If she trusted me she wouldn't have shown up herself, but she still took the job."

"So you started looking into the organization?"

"When I got the chance, yeah." He leaned back and Liz reached out, her hand brushing his leg and he dropped his own to hold on. Long fingers wrapped around hers. "I know the contenders that'll try to push her out. Bud screwed kids up, even I know that, but these guys…"

Pieces fell into place. Tom had always had more conflicted views than Liz did about his time with St Regis, both feeling like he had been saved and twisted up all at once when he had accepted McCready's offer. He saw what the man had done, at least in a way, and what happened to the kids growing up in the organization now. It was an emotionally charged conversation if they ever broached it and Liz was always hesitant to push him on it.

But here, now, he was the one poking at it.

"What if you handed it to the Task Force?"

Tom turned to look at her. "Liz-"

"Just hear me out. St Regis is huge. You have intel that could bring them down. It's well within the arrangement you have between Halcyon and the Task Force. Ressler won't fight you on the intel you need for them and we can stop them from turning kids into-"

"Monsters?"

The word cut through her argument and Liz caught his gaze. "You're not a monster," she said firmly.

"Because of you." His fingers tightened around hers again and she saw the struggle to put his feelings into words that made sense. "You…. Not everyone gets the chance you gave me, Liz."

"We'll make sure they're taken care of, Tom."

"How? Turn them back over to social services? How do you think they ended up in St Regis to start with?"

She pursed her lips together. "What would you do differently?"

"I was thinking about setting up some kind of program through Halcyon. The board loves charity projects and it'll keep them off the streets and out of the system. Give them a chance. The ones in now, if they wanted, would have the choice to get hired on at Halcyon at eighteen. Maybe later. If they wanted out they're free to leave."

They sat in silence for a long moment and she leaned into him. "You've been thinking about this for a while."

"Yeah," he breathed after a beat.

"I wish you'd told me."

"Doesn't matter now. All of that was balanced on Gina being willing to turn it over."

"Wouldn't the people you said would be after her fight you on it?"

She saw a small smile tilt his lips. "You think I wasn't going to offer Ressler something in all of that?"

Liz laughed and turned to kiss his shoulder. "Let's talk to him. Maybe we can still find a way."

"I just don't want those kids going from bad to worse. Least where they are now they can fight back."

"Hey." She waited until he looked at her, those eyes meeting hers. "McCready was the monster, not you."

Tom gave her a thin smile and she leaned up, her lips against his. "I know you, Tom Keen," she murmured. "Better than anyone."

There was a small sound of acknowledgement and pulled her into the kiss a little deeper. She sank in and she felt his his hands moving down her back, toying at the zipper on her dress that she still wore from the party, and she fought the frustrated sigh as she pulled away. "Agnes is in our room," she warned.

He loosed a breath and nodded, kissing her lightly. "We should be there if she wakes up," he acknowledged softly.

"After tonight, yeah."

She stood and he caught her hand, pulling her attention back around to him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away," he said, and there was a sincerity there that she believed.

Liz squeezed his hand. "We'll figure it out."

He stood, his arms circling her waist and he pulled her a little closer. "I don't deserve you."

Her smile was real as she leaned in, her cheek pressed against his chest as he pulled her close. She stood there for a long moment just listening to the sound of his heart beating steadily in his chest. She had him, and she wasn't going to let him go. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too," he answered softly, kissing the side of her head. "C'mon. We'll figure out how to read the Task Force in tomorrow."

Liz nodded, letting her hand drop down into his and she followed him back to their bedroom. Agnes was snoring, sprawled in the middle of their bed, and the exhausted little girl didn't even stir as they changed and crawled in on either side of her. Liz pulled the covers up and she finally turned, cuddling close to her mother, and a sense of peace settled in despite the evening's events. They were there and they would fight to be safe. No one - not Gina, or St Regis, or any other of the real monster's from Tom's past - would take her family from her.

* * *

 **TBC**

 **Notes** : I will forever be sad that we didn't dive further into St Regis in canon. It seemed like such a perfect opportunity for the task force to take on. So here we go. If they won't I will lol

 **Next Time** : Tom talks to Ressler, Howard gets himself into some trouble, and Liz tries to convince her therapist to sign off on her reinstatement.


	3. Standstill

**Chapter Three: Standstill**

Unless all hell was breaking loose, Saturdays tended to be quiet around the Post Office. Ressler had hoped to get a start on the mounding paperwork that was threatening to break his desk that morning so that he could slip out early enough to make his dinner date that night. The hope faded fast when the big yellow doors to the lift opened up and he saw Tom Keen standing in the middle of the mostly-empty war room.

Aram Mojtabai stood with him, Agnes Keen seated on his shoulders and leaning over to make a face. "Again, Uncle 'Ram! Again!" she giggled.

"So you think she will or she won't think that?" Aram was asking, paying more attention to Tom than Agnes and the pair of small hands pounding the top of his head.

"Again!"

Aram looked up, a little startled. "What's the magic word?"

"Please?"

Ressler stood and watched as their MIT-trained tech expert started to spin around.

"I think you should be more focused on what _you_ think it means," Tom said with a shrug.

"But Liz also said-"

Tom opened his mouth and closed it several times like he continued to think better of every statement that wanted to escape.

"This isn't a daycare, Keen," Ressler called out and Liz's husband actually looked relieved that he'd gotten out of answering whatever loaded question Aram had asked.

"Just…. don't make a big deal about it. Be cool. Ressler, just the guy I was waiting on. Are you trying to give Aram relationship advice? Seriously, man?"

Ah. So that was it. Aram was still caught up on that ring. "He's been dating her for two years now. She's gonna think it's an engagement ring."

Aram motioned like he'd already told Tom that and Tom shook his head. "Fake girlfriend over here isn't good for advice."

Ressler rolled his eyes. "At least I've never dated anyone for a case. And she's not fake."

"See, I'd believe you if we got to meet her."

"How old are you?"

Tom flashed a grin.

Agnes started to squirm to get down from Aram's shoulders. "Uncle Donnie, you next!"

She slipped and Tom caught her mid-fall, easing the descent in a practiced way that made Ressler think that her climbing stage had only become more daring recently. "Not right now, baby girl. Uncle Donnie and I need to talk." He looked up at Aram. "You have a few minutes to watch her?"

"Yeah, sure. Agnes, you want to see something cool?"

"Yeah!"

Tom nodded towards Ressler's office and the ginger agent's lips twitched downward as he started forward. "What's so important that you couldn't pick up a phone?"

"I thought you might this one in person."

That didn't sound good. "Liz decide not to come?"

"She's at a session with the shrink. She thinks she's close to getting the all clear for reinstatement."

Ressler glanced over at the wording and tone. "You don't think so?"

"It's not Liz. It's the lady." He ran a hand through his dark hair, standing it on end. "I just don't like shrinks and this lady won't let up on her."

"You do remember your wife is board certified, yeah?"

"She's the exception to a pretty firm rule I have about it."

Ressler chuckled and closed the door to his new office behind them. Tom looked around, studying the space. He waited for a moment before passing him to take a seat at the desk. It was still strange looking st the room from Cooper's chair. It wasn't his chair anymore, though. No more than it was his office. Ressler was still trying to decide how he felt about the change.

Tom cleared his throat. "Halcyon has been making some changes lately."

"Yeah, I hear you're finally getting your headquarters moved. That'll make it easier on you."

"Not just that."

Tom wasn't meeting his gaze regularly, which didn't leave Ressler with any sense of confidence in the conversation. "This whole…. thing -" he motioned between them - "- with Halcyon and the Task Force won't work if you're not honest, Tom."

"We've been looking at ways to build on programs. Tighten them up, make them better. One of those is our training program." He finally looked at Ressler. "I've been looking into… acquiring St Regis."

"The one Gina Zanetakos is running?" Tom nodded and Ressler motioned to the chair in front of the desk. "This is going to take a minute. Might as well sit."

Liz's husband did as he was asked and Ressler listened to him spell out his plan, his reasoning, and how it had all been shot to hell when his crazy ex had shown up at their place the night before. All the careful layout had rested on Zanetakos agreeing to it and she had found out too soon, sending it into a tailspin. "So is this just a friendly heads up or do you want something?" Ressler asked carefully.

Tom didn't seem offended by that. Instead he sat back. "I've known Gina since we were fifteen. I was… trying to give her an out."

"How'd that work out for you?"

That earned him a glare before Tom sighed, his shoulders sagging a little. "She's a big girl. She can make her own decisions, but that doesn't change the fact that she's going to get removed from her position. Probably with a bullet to the head. Any of the guys that would take her place would make Bud look like a saint."

"Same guy that tried to kill you?" Ressler confirmed.

"Twice, yeah. Also raised me." He blinked and the emotions that threatened to become too clear through his dark eyes were shoved behind what Ressler could only assume was a mask of indifference. "These are the types of people that he Task Force would go after. Definitely not on your radar. They're not committing the crimes themselves, but they're training up next generations of operatives that you'll only see shadows of as you're cleaning up after them."

Ressler met his gaze. "Yeah, I've seen the destruction you're capable of."

"Are we in the same side or not?"

Ressler pulled back, the snap catching him by surprise. "So you'll give us these guys and you'll get… what, exactly? Just so I'm clear."

"Files, mostly."

Mostly wasn't encouraging, but it was possible that it was just coming from working with Reddington so long. "Right. It sounds like something we could work together on. You've got the knowledge for it. Zanetakos knows where you live now though…"

"I'll handle Gina."

He wasn't sure he wanted to know what that meant, but he nodded, reaching a hand out. "Guess this means we're working together."

Tom took the hand and offered him a wink. "Never thought you'd see the day, huh?"

"I'm going to regret this."

A loud crash drew both men's attention followed almost immediately Aram's "It's okay! We're okay!" and Agnes' high pitched giggle.

"She's a handful isn't she?" Ressler asked, almost afraid to look out the window.

Tom grinned. "You have no idea."

* * *

The lead had come in not an hour before he was due in to meet Gabriel Moreau and Howard had followed it. At this point a shot in the dark was better than no shot at all. They had been steps behind this whole trip and while Scottie was determined Moreau wouldn't fail them, Howard felt a desperation clawing at him that he hadn't felt in years. It was a drive for answers. Once Davis went to trial he wondered if they would lose their chance to find out what had happened to their boy. To fill in the gaps.

Scottie had been hesitant to send him off alone, and after the botched meet he knew she would think he had gone too far. He had taken a risk and while it could have ended much worse than it had, there was no getting around it. Howard drew in a steadying breath as he pushed the door open to the hotel suite.

It was quiet. Empty. For half a beat as he closed the door behind him he thought maybe he had made it back before his wife had. He could take a shower, clean up, and —

"Howard? What took so long?" Scottie rounded out of the bedroom, still toweling off her long, dark hair and she paused to let her gaze travel the length of him. "What happened?"

"It looks worse than it is," he said, motioning to the split over his eyebrow and the bruising that was bound to show.

Scottie snorted and disappeared back around the corner without a word. He didn't have the energy to ask her what she was up to and moved to a mirror, leaning in to inspect the damage. It wasn't as bad as it had felt, the blow unexpected and his attacker had been wearing a ring on top of that. It would leave a mark, but not a permanent one.

"Do we need to call someone for clean up?"

Howard let his gaze drift ever so slightly to focus on the woman approaching behind him. She had a washcloth in one hand and what looked like a portable medkit in the other. She hadn't bothered to change out of her robe. "That's not necessary," he assured her as he took the cloth and pressed it against the injury, wincing as he did. "And no. It didn't go that far."

"I could tell you I told you so."

"You could, but what good would that do us?"

Scottie made a soft sound and set the kit down. "Stop," she instructed, taking the washcloth again. She reached up, her touch more gentle than he would have thought having shown up like he did. After the discussion - or lack thereof - that they'd had before he'd sent her on alone after the lead that they were in Paris for.

"I know what you think."

"What's that?"

"That it was reckless."

"I don't think that." There was a beat of a pause and her dark eyes met his blue. "I know it." He snorted and she stepped back. "You know it too."

Howard's lips twitched down and he didn't respond.

"We should go home."

"We're not due back for a few days. Surely Moreau hasn't found a lead already."

Her long fingers gripped at the formerly-white cloth and he saw all the signs of Scottie weighing a thought. "I haven't seen you like this in years," she said at last.

"It was a viable lead."

"It was a shot in the dark," Scottie snapped. "We have him, Howard. We have our son and he has a beautiful little girl of his own and we're on the other side of the world."

He set his jaw a little. "You wanted to come. To find a way to-"

"I still do." She reached forward, her fingers brushing the side of his face. Damn her if she didn't know exactly how to get his attention. "And we will, but I won't lose you to it again. Not when we have him."

Howard watched her and there was a strange openness to her voice. She was trying to be honest with him. No tricks, no manipulation, just the fears she had. It was what they had promised each other and the only way the relationship was going to work.

He swallowed hard. "No reason to sit around here and wait for him to find something."

Scottie's palm was still against his face and he felt her fingers curl against the hair there. She leaned in and he kissed her back, feeling some of the manic drive ease as he sunk a little deeper into the kiss. After a long moment he felt her hands move to start working at the buttons on the front of his shirt. "I thought we were leaving," he murmured against her.

She pulled back, worry replaced by mischief. "If you _want_ to leave right this second…"

Howard grinned and pulled her back in. They had time.

* * *

They sat staring at each other, both women wanting something different from the impromptu session that had been called that morning. The lazy morning that Liz had had planned was shot to hell the moment Gina Zanetakos had shown up at their home. Tom was reading Ressler in and if she wanted a chance to be on the case, she needed Dr Fulton to sign off on her psych eval.

"Why today?"

Liz blinked, the blonde woman's voice drawing her out of her thoughts. "I'm ready."

"You called at seven on a Saturday morning to see if I had an opening."

There was a pause as Liz weighed her options. She could sidestep again, but Fulton wasn't an idiot. Frustrating, but not an idiot. Her clearance level was high enough to provide Liz with a resource to talk about things she wouldn't normally talk about with others, but there were times when she found herself wary. Cautious. The problem was that she wasn't sure if it was an instinct she should listen to or her own secretive nature that had only intensified over the last few years. Either way, her reinstatement rested in this woman's hands. She had to give her something.

Liz pursed her lips together. "There's a case that Tom's bringing to the Task Force. I'd like to be a part of it."

"You don't think that's a conflict of interest?"

"No more than my entire career with the Task Force has been so far."

Fulton actually chuckled at that. "What is it about this one?"

Liz paused at that, weighing her words. The therapist might have clearance, but precious few outside of the Task Force knew details of Tom's past. The investigation into it that had actually made it to the Bureau was locked up tight and Fulton certainly wouldn't have access to it. She wouldn't even know it existed. "It's time. I want to get back to my job."

"That's an answer."

But not the one she was looking for. Liz steadied herself. "It's an organization that goes after children. My team came across it a few years ago on a case, but they weren't the main target."

"Goes after?"

"Warps. Twists." Liz's jaw tightened. "They take scared, vulnerable children and turn them into cold-blooded killers."

"This sounds personal for you."

"I have a little girl. I can't help but think about her in that situation." That was true. That was honest.

"And Reddington can't protect your family now."

Liz stiffened at that. She was trying to lead her around to the only subject she seemed truly interested in. "I can protect my family. Tom and I can protect our family."

Fulton offered a thin smile. "Do you feel like you need to be involved in this case to protect them?"

"Yes." The answer slipped out before Liz gave it permission, and with it the timer sounded off to the side. The hour was complete.

The therapist gave a thin smile. "The grieving process is different for everyone. Losing someone you care about is something that must be worked through. A…. complicated relationship makes that more difficult, but you're strong, Elizabeth. I believe you can get there."

"Then you'll sign off on my full reinstatement?"

The smile didn't fade as the alarm continued to chirp. "I think you're on the schedule for Monday. We'll chat then."

Liz knew a dismissal when she heard it. There were no promises, no guarantees. She wanted her to talk about Reddington. Until then, until Fulton was convinced that Liz had worked through her grief, they were at a standstill.

She was halfway out of the office and pulling her phone from her purse to call Tom when it started buzzing on her hand. Liz blinked at the number, not recognizing it. "Keen," she answered.

" _Liz, hey. It's Dumont_."

Well that was a surprise. "Hey… Are you having trouble getting ahold of Tom? He's over at the Post Office and reception can be-"

" _No, no. I'm lookin' for you_."

There was a pause, a little awkward, and Liz stepped out into the morning air. "What's up?"

" _Tom, uh… gave me a roll of film a while back. He got it from some guy's place…. Williams? Wilson_?"

"Wilkenson. Yeah. I know what you're talking about." With everything that had happened, she'd forgotten about the reel of film that Tom had found in the garage.

Apparently Dumont had too. " _Yeah, sorry it took so long. Few things on the plate. I got it though_."

"Great. You can email that over, but…" She glanced back at the building, the feeling of being watched tugging at her. "Why are you calling me on this?"

" _I did some digging once I got the film developed. One of the people was your buddy Wilkenson, but there was a girl. Young. I used a program I've been workin' on - better than you guys use. I'll get a copy to Aram if he wants it - to age her up. You're not gonna believe who the little girl is_."

The phone chimes in her ear, signaling a message. Dumont was waiting as if he knew and Liz pulled it back to look. Her breath caught at the first image of a much younger Dom Wilkenson with a little girl on his lap. She was smiling, and something about the smile reminded Liz of Agnes. As she swiped over to the following image, the aged up rendering, she loosed the breath. "That's-"

" _Yep_ ," Dumont said from the other end of the line. " _Katarina Rostova_."

* * *

TBC

 **Notes** : I'm bummed that Liz still doesn't know Dom's her grandfather. Time to handle it in fanfiction.

Also... Dr Fulton? I have plans. *insert evil laughter here* :P

 **Next Time** : Liz goes to Halcyon, Tom considers his past with Gina, and the Hargraves come home.


	4. Secrets

**Chapter Four: Secrets**

His cell had rolled to voicemail twice before she finally got ahold of him. He had been in with Ressler and still was. Liz hadn't had a chance to say much more than no one's life was in immediate danger and that she was at Halcyon to follow up on something Dumont had found.

Halcyon Aegis was slowly moving its base to DC and Tom had kept the offices that Scottie had used during the last presidential election. Slowly but surely part of the old structure was being converted into a technical base that Grey Matters could operate out of so that they didn't have to fly out of the city every time they were working a case. The progress was balanced somewhere in the middle right then, and Liz found herself parking in a slightly different spot than where she had the last time she had been there. She wondered just what went into converting what had once been a mansion-styled building into a covert base that could also house the more public side of Halcyon.

"Mrs Hargra- Mrs Keen!"

Liz turned to see a young man - Trey, one of Scottie's people that had stayed over - jogging up to her. " _Agent_ Keen," she corrected. "Liz is fine. I don't need an escort. I know where I'm going."

That seemed to stop him in his tracks. "But Mr Hargrave isn't here."

"I'm not here to see Tom," she said pointedly and brushed past him and through the front door. It wasn't his fault, not really. Both the PR department and Tom's parents had thought it would somehow make the transition easier if Tom went by his birth name at the office. He hadn't fought it, even if he had remained adamant about keeping his legal name as it stood. It left those that didn't know them well in a state of constant confusion.

"It's all good, Trey. She's here for us." Liz looked towards the voice, finding Nez Rowan halfway down the stairs. She motioned. "C'mon. We've taken over your husband's office until they finish ours."

Liz quirked an eyebrow. "Does that mean you know what he's been working on lately?"

Nez blinked and raised her hand in defense. "He said he was going to tell you."

"He did. When Gina Zanetakos up at our front door."

The other woman shook her head as the topped the stairs. "He hasn't sounded the alarms yet. Do you guys need-"

"We have it handled on that end." Liz stopped, causing Nez to pause too. When she found grey eyes on her she held her gaze. "What I need is to make sure you have his back here. Gina is-"

"I know they have a past," Nez acknowledged and Liz snorted at the diplomatic approach.

"Yeah."

"Liz, if you think he'd…"

"I'm not worried about losing Tom to Gina like that. I'm worried about him not watching his back with her. She's dangerous. Last time he trusted her she put two bullets in him."

Nez's lips twitched down and her expression darkened a little. She got it. She may not have known Tom nearly as long as Liz had, but she knew him well enough to know exactly what Liz was getting at. For all the trust issues Tom had, he did have his blind spots. "We've got his back."

"Good. I'm doing everything I can to get reinstated before this, but-"

"We've got his back, Liz."

There was a long pause, both women staring at each other, and finally Liz nodded. "Thank you."

They pushed through the door into the upstairs offices that Tom had made claims on. There was plenty of space for Grey Matters to set up their temporary base there and, though he would never admit it, Tom likely enjoyed being in the middle of the team. Well, most of the team.

"Lizzie. Good to see you again," Matias Solomon all but purred and Liz resisted the urge to take a swing.

"There's a short list of people that can call me that. You're not on it. Dumont, hey." She brushed past Solomon to the tech expert who was sitting at Tom's desk. "You know Tom will spring for a desk of your own, right?"

He looked up and grinned. "Not like he uses it."

"It just makes him feel special," Nez teased, earning a look from Dumont.

"You said you found something, Dumont?" Liz asked, trying to pull him around to the entire reason she was there and not meeting her family at the park like they had planned.

"Yeah. Ran some background information. Looks like your ol' pal Dom wasn't entirely honest about his time in the KGB."

"I didn't really think he was. He knew Reddington," Liz answered softly. She watched as information scrolled across the computer screen.

"There's no direct link to Reddington that I can find, but based on what we have I'd say there's a familial match there to Rostova. Father probably. Maybe uncle?"

"If I got you a DNA sample could you run it against mine?"

"Sure. How're you planning to get that?"

Liz smiled. "That won't be a problem."

* * *

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he was dreaming. It had been too long since she had been that young. The dirt worked into her dark blonde curls and the vicious look in her brown eyes that masked the fear. Everything she knew was gone and she had no one. She trusted no one. Certainly not an old man and scrap of a punk that he had hauled out of bed in the middle of the night to "test his Russian." Gina Zanetakos had been a force to be reckoned with even at fourteen and half starved, and she hadn't been impressed with what St Regis had to offer.

He had stumbled through broken Russian, desperate to impress Bud even just weeks into his own training, but it hadn't gotten him anywhere. Instead she had disappeared and Bud had told him to find her and bring her in or not to bother coming back at all. Jacob had chased her down and nearly gotten into a brawl with her in a back alleyway in St Petersburg when they had both been jumped. Gina had owed someone something, or at least the man twice her size had thought she did, and his focus had been on her. Jacob could have slipped away. Bud wouldn't want someone that couldn't figure their own way out anyway. It would have been easy enough, but something in him had made him stay and fight with her. It had been the start of something that had become a strange form of loyalty between them. Something like a friendship. It had been as close as people like them had known how to get, and they had had each other's backs.

He had tried. Despite everything that had happened in the last handful of years between them, Tom had tried to watch out for her. She was either going to get killed or brought down in all of this, though, and there wasn't much he could do to stop that. Maybe that's why he found his dreams filled with those accusing eyes he hadn't seen since they were young teenagers.

Tom jolted at the sound of the name that no one from his old life would use. The living room came into view slowly as he blinked, trying to clear dried contacts, and found his wife squatted down next to the couch. "Hey."

He blinked again. "Hey. Did I fall asleep?"

Her lips tilted up very slightly at the corners and she nodded over to where the end credits were playing on Tangled. Agnes was crashed out in her little beanbag, utterly oblivious to the world.

"How far did you guys make it?" Liz asked quietly.

Tom fell back against the pillow. "Not far. Maybe the horse chasing the guy?"

"You know she's going to make you back it up for the lights."

"Believe me I know." He cracked an eye back open.

She smiled, the expression a little strained. "What were you dreaming about?"

He looked up at her, a grimace tugging at his own expression. Being honest with her meant he didn't get to pick and choose when it was convenient. "Gina," he admitted softly. "When we were kids."

"Tom, babe, you've done everything you can for-"

"I know." He swallowed hard. "I know. What'd Dumont need?"

Liz let him shift the conversation without a fight and she motioned for Tom to scoot over. When he did, she sat on the edge of the couch. "You remember the film you found in Wilkinson's garage?"

"Yeah."

"There was someone else in the photos. My mother."

"Your…? That film had to have been over forty years old," Tom countered and Liz shot him a look. He shifted, sitting up a little. "You're related to him."

"There's a good chance. Dumont said he could run the DNA-"

"Or you could just ask your mom."

Her excitement faded almost immediately and Tom found her staring blankly. He cleared his throat. "You heard anything from her?"

"Not since last time. It's been… two months, I think? It's not like she's really been jumping at rebuilding a relationship with me."

"Maybe she doesn't know how."

"She could try a little harder to figure it out," his wife snapped. Tom reached a hand out to hers and she cringed a little. "Sorry."

"I get it," he murmured.

She squeezed his hand, her fingers lacing through his. "I know you do."

Tom pulled her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. It was hard. He knew how hard it was. Katarina had vanished without warning after Reddington's funeral. Liz had been grappling with her own grief and hadn't had it in her to spend too much time dwelling on it immediately after. Then a week had gone by. Then another. It had dragged on to the point that she had admitted to him that meeting her mother was starting to feel more like a dream than anything else.

Then, out of nowhere, Katarina had called. It had been in the middle of the night from a blocked number. She hadn't said anything about where she had been or where she was. She hadn't even told Liz why she was calling. The conversation - if it could be considered that - had lasted all of five minutes, but the Keens hadn't slept the rest of the night. Instead Liz had gone over every angle, every word, and had tried to figure out some clue that Tom still wasn't sure was there.

"'m hungry," came the slightly cranky and still very drowsy voice from their daughter who was still sunk down into her beanbag.

Liz's expression softened. "What about a grilled cheese?"

Agnes looked over to her daddy expectantly and he swallowed a laugh at Liz's feigned insulted expression. "You don't think I can do it?"

"No," the little girl answered honestly and Tom couldn't stop the chuckle at that.

"Traitor," his wife grumbled as she stood. "I'll prove you both wrong."

"Please don't set the kitchen on fire, babe," Tom teased and barely got his hands up to deflect the pillow she grabbed off the chair to toss at his face.

"That was _one time_!"

"Twice." He watched her turn a questioning look on him and he grinned. "What? You think Baz and I never talked when he was camped out in the apartment across from ours?"

She huffed as she turned back to the kitchen, promising him an amazing grilled cheese and he couldn't help the smile that tugged just a little further with every grumble. He knew better than to bet against her when she decided to be stubborn about something.

"It's making noise."

Tom blinked, finding Agnes standing right next to the couch now and she was holding his cell phone. He reached out for it and she piled in on top of where he was still half stretched out, nestling in against his chest as he pulled the message from Scottie open.

"Hey babe?"

"If you're going to make a crack about my cooking again, Tom, I swear-"

"No," he laughed, his fingers playing idly with his daughter's hair. "You mind waiting on the grilled cheese?"

Agnes sat up at that. "I'm hungry."

"I know, baby, but Grandma and Grandpa just landed. They want to have lunch."

Tom heard the sound of the burner being turned off around the corner and Liz reappeared. "I thought they weren't coming in until Wednesday?"

He shrugged, trying to sit up and not having a lot of luck with the stubborn four-year-old in his lap. "Guess they came home early."

Her eyes narrowed just a little. "You sure this isn't just you trying to get me out of the kitchen?"

"You want to see the text?" he laughed, offering her his phone.

"Did they bring me a present?" Agnes asked.

"Guess we'll have to find out."

That sold their daughter on the idea and Tom let out a struggled _oof_ as she piled off of him and ran to her room to get ready. He looked up to see Liz's expression had turned a little more serious. "What?"

"Any idea why they cut their trip short?"

Tom sat up slowly, swinging his long legs around. "Hopefully that they hit their last dead end."

"You think they're still trying to find evidence to link Davis to your kidnapping?"

"I know they are."

He caught Liz's hesitant look. "And you don't want them to?"

"What's the point? He's going away for life anyway." He stood, running a hand through his dark hair and standing it on end. "I just want to put it behind us."

Liz made a small sound of acknowledgement and wrapped her arms around him. He sank into it, feeling her fingers tighten around the material of his shirt. They stood like that for a long moment, soaking in a moment of quiet as long as they could.

"I'm ready," a small voice interrupted and they both looked over to see Agnes had changed her clothes to a mismatched combination of tutu and polka dot shirt. Tom stared, but the question of why died in his throat and he scooped her up and kissed her cheek instead. His little girl giggled in his arms and he readied himself for whatever news Scottie and Howard were bringing home. Maybe he'd catch a break and his parents really did just want to have lunch.

* * *

There was something soothing about the constant chatter of a four-year-old trying to tell a story. Scottie wasn't sure she could have recounted any of it if asked, but her granddaughter didn't seem bothered by it. She kept on as long as the four adults managed to react at just the right time, and her smile only grew as she threw her arms in the air. "Like the bad lady that came over last night," she finished and it was the way Tom turned to look at her that keyed his mother off.

"Bad lady?"

"Nothing. It was nothing," Tom answered, waving it off. "Misunderstanding."

"She was mean," Agnes said pointedly. "I don't like her."

"She's not going to come over again," Liz promised and kissed her head.

Scottie looked over to Tom who was avoiding eye contact. She nudged Howard hard under the table. "Didn't they have an ice cream machine just inside? I think I saw sprinkles."

"I like sprinkles," Agnes said, her attention immediately Howard. "Please, Grandpa? _Please_?"

Howard shot Scottie an amused look before standing from the bench seat at the outdoor bbq joint. "Anyone else want to put an order in?" An awkward silence met him and he winked at Agnes. "Just you and me, Princess."

The little girl cheered as she piled off of the bench and grabbed for his hand, happily skipping alongside him. Scottie watched, a smile tugging at her lips. It faded slowly as she turned to look at her son and daughter-in- law across the table. Tom met her gaze now and held it without flinching.

"Tom, if you're-"

"We have it under control. Better than the two of you do if Howard's face is anything to go by."

He had inherited his father's talent for redirecting focus in what could turn into an argument. Scottie had played that game long enough. "We're not talking about Howard."

Liz snorted a small laugh and Tom shot her a look. She nudged him lightly with her shoulder. "It's fine," she assured the older woman.

"Let's just enjoy lunch without talking about work, huh?"

Scottie held his gaze, and while Liz looked amused that Tom hadn't managed to successfully redirect the conversation to put Scottie on the defensive, there was no question that she stood with him. It was one of the traits that Scottie appreciated most in her daughter-in-law: the loyalty. She didn't know the whole story, but she knew enough. Tom had told her enough. Their united front was hard fought and won.

"Mama, I got sprinkles," Agnes announced from behind and she already had half the treat on her face.

"I see that," Liz answered with a smile.

Howard glanced over to Scottie for a cue if it was safe to bring the four-year-old back or if a second distraction was needed. She nodded and he hauled her up, a giggle exploding in response, and set her onto the bench attached to the picnic tables they were seated at.

Tom caught his mother's gaze again. "I will tell you," he said lowly. "Just let me enjoy some normal?"

Howard snorted. "Not in this family, son."

Scottie offered him a smile and reached across the table, her hand covering his. "We'll talk later."

He watched her for a long moment and she knew he was likely weighing the trust he was willing to place in the words. Finally he nodded and she squeezed his hand.

"Agnes, what are you doing?" Liz asked, the question riding out in a choked laugh and Agnes Keen giggled as she smeared ice cream on her face.

Scottie reached for a napkin, but her buzzing phone stopped her. She looked down and recognized the number. "If you'll excuse me for a moment," she said softly. She stood and used the focus in on getting Agnes cleaned up to slip over to the was a new number, but she had no doubt who it was. "Kat, Now's not a good time."

" _This can't wait. Your son is going to get my daughter killed._ "

* * *

There hadn't been any dissuading her when Scottie had returned to the table. No putting off the conversation or enjoying the handful of normal moments that the Keens were able to catch between the chaos that they lived in. Not that Liz had really expected normal moments. Not with Tom's family. When she found out her own mother had been the one to call, all bets had been off.

At least Scottie had been willing to take the conversation to a quieter location to discuss the matter at hand. Candy met them there to take Agnes for the duration and Scottie had provided Liz with the phone number that Katarina had called from. She'd been taken back at first, but it had been Tom that admitted quietly that if she had any chance of catching her, it would be right then. He knew how much it meant to her. He always did.

Liz had tried the number. Once, twice, a million times. It wouldn't matter. It wasn't going to go through to the phone that Katarina had called from. She had bounced it somehow, leaving it difficult to trace. Dumont had offered to help her with that, but what was the point? By the time that he found it Liz's mother would be gone again. It was frustrating the way she would disappear and reappear only when convenient for her. With her luck Katarina would come swooping in and try to stop her from approaching Dom. Well, she could try.

"You look ready to take someone's head off."

Liz looked over, finding her father-in-law leaning against the doorframe to the hall she was standing in. Tom and Scottie were in Tom's office, their voices loud enough to hear what they were saying if she listened, but they weren't shouting. "Shouldn't you be in there?"

"Oh, I heard enough," Howard drawled out, a chuckle leaving him. "Tom has it under control."

She watched him a moment, judging for herself if she believed the utter faith that Howard seemed to have in his son. It sounded real enough, but if there was one thing she'd learned about the Hargraves it was that they were a capable bunch when it came to slipping behind whatever mask they chose to wear. Tom came by the talent naturally.

Howard loosed a breath, motioning back behind him. "He wants her to run an organization for him out of Halcyon."

"He mentioned that," Liz said carefully and Howard's blue gaze caught hers and held it. His smile didn't falter.

"I know what he's doing, Liz."

She didn't flinch. "What's that?"

"Distracting Scottie. Trying to."

Liz stopped, weighing her words carefully. "This means a lot to him. St Regis-"

"It can wait."

"So can yours. Davis' trial won't be quick, and even if he's in prison you can still bring the charges-"

"This needs to happen now." There was something in his tone that caused her to stop and he seemed to hear it too. Liz saw all the signs she knew too well in the man's son of resetting and readjusting, pulling himself back under control. When he spoke again his voice was quieter. "St Regis can wait. It _should_ wait. Right now they're a united front against Zanetakos. Give it time, let the battle play out, and when they all turn on each other Tom and your Task Force can step in."

"After Gina's dead?"

Her father-in-law quirked an eyebrow. "Would that be so terrible?" Liz stared at him for a long moment and he chuckled. "Don't worry. I'd be the last person who would judge you on that."

"On what?"

Both turned, finding Tom and Scottie moving to join them in the hall. Scottie eyed her husband a little suspiciously and he flashed her a charming smile. "Get everything squared away?"

"The start of it," Tom answered and his gaze swiveled to Liz. "You get ahold of your mom?"

"She bounced the number," Liz grumbled, pushing down the irritating relief that he hadn't pushed the subject Howard had been so focused on. She didn't want to dwell on if she would be alright with Tom's ex taking a bullet to the head or not. The woman had been ready to slit her throat once and she had shot Tom. She had also saved his life by killing the man that had raised them. She had also stepped up when he needed help getting to the bones in Costa Rica. Gina was a complicated subject.

"It's fine," Liz promised after a long moment. "I've barely spoken to her since…. for the last six months. Why start now?"

Tom gave a thin smile and wrapped his arm around her, kissing the side of her head in the only support he could really offer in the moment.

"When will you be back on cases?" Scottie asked and Liz looked over at her.

"Soon. I just need one last signature and I'm back."

Tom groaned and she couldn't help the tiny smile that tugged at the reaction. "I don't care what she says, that woman's fishing for something. You're good to go back and have been for months."

"That your professional opinion?" she teased and Tom flashed her one of his more charming grins.

"Just the opinion of the guy that knows you best."

Liz rolled her eyes good naturedly and leaned into him, nudging him lightly in the ribs.

"If the FBI won't take you back, I'm sure Tom could find a place for you in Halcyon," Scottie said suggestively.

"We've got it covered," Liz said dismissively. "Let me know if my mom reaches back out to you?"

Scottie's expression softened. "Of course."

"I'll keep you updated," Tom promised and that was that. Liz felt Howard's eyes on her and their conversation echoed in her mind.

She waited until they were halfway down the hall and on their way to where Candy was watching Agnes before she leaned into her husband, grabbing his attention subtly. "Your dad's not going to let the Davis thing go."

Tom's expression darkened and he loosed a breath. "I know."

* * *

TBC

 **Notes** : A little longer chapter this time because there very likely will not be an update next week. I'll be out of town for a convention (Wynonna Earp convention!) all weekend and I'm already behind on the writing for the next chapter. If I feel confident that I'm caught up enough by then I may be able to update on Friday before I leave. We'll see, but most likely not.

 **Next Time** : Scottie and Howard get some news, Liz visits Red's grave, and the Task Force and Tom finally get to meet Ressler's new girlfriend.


	5. Surprises

**Chapter Five: Surprises**

Patience was learned. Through trial and error, success and failure. It was built and practiced and eventually, one might even find themself in a place where that anxious drive to get to the next key point _now_ eased just a little.

Scottie wasn't one of those people, but she had perfected the mask she wore that convinced others that she was. No one - well, no one save maybe Howard - would know just how many pieces of the puzzle, how many different scenarios and possibilities, swirled in her head as she offered Gabriel Moreau a welcoming smile into their home. He didn't return it. She didn't expect that he would.

"Gabe!" Howard greeted as he rounded the corner. He was all charming smiles and warm hand shakes. The dark mood that had hovered around him recently was nowhere to be seen. "Sorry I missed you last week."

"Always busy, Howard," Moreau answered with an amused chuckle and motioned at the bruising that was beginning to fade. "Did you win?"

"Always."

Scottie motioned towards the living room. "I hope you have good news and aren't just here to add to the bill."

Moreau flashed her a dangerously smile. "You have the first half?"

"You do love making a point."

"As do you. Yes, I've come with news. Good or bad remains to be seen." He reached into the satchel slung over his shoulder and pulled a tablet out, pressing his thumb against the reader and it opened for him. He looked at them both as if he were weighing something before he chose to hand it over.

Scottie took it, positioning it so that Howard had a clear view of the screen. She saw photos of two people. They looked different in every shot, but closer inspection showed the people that had, at least for a time, lived under the names Frank and Eva Phelps. Moreau had found quite a bit of information on them. She had suspected that he would. He worked fast, but he was thorough.

"They're dead?" Howard asked, his tone bordering on dangerous.

"They would like you to think so," Moreau answered.

Scottie flipped to the next segment and saw a money trail leading to a couple that looked very different. "They're good."

"So am I," Moreau answered with a quirked eyebrow.

"They're down in Florida," Howard mused, taking the tablet from her and his clever gaze scanned the information. "We could be down and back in twenty-four hours."

Scottie's lips tilted down. "I'm meeting with Tom about his project tomorrow," she said, the words intentionally vague. Their conversation about St Regis and Halcyon had ended better than she could have predicted after the call from Katarina. Tom wasn't running in as blind as she had feared, but had been steadily doing his homework on the subject and was ready to make adjustments where he needed to. He had spent the majority of that week with his wife's Task Force catching them up and going over options while Liz continued to battle it out with the Bureau's therapist.

"Then I'll go alone."

The frown deepened. "We said we would do this together or not at all."

"Then do _this_ ," Howard pressed. "You and I both know he's trying to distract us from it, but we've never been this close. _Years_ of research has gotten us here."

Patience was learned, and Howard had never bothered to even play at it. When he wanted something he was all in, driven to the point of obsession. He was passionate and brilliant, and she loved him for it. She loved him despite it.

Scottie pulled in a deep breath, holding his gaze, and finally she nodded. Together or not at all.

* * *

The graveyard was empty that afternoon. Well, empty of visitors, at any rate. There were plenty of loved ones lost that filled the grounds. A few that she knew. Kate was buried up the hill a ways and Baz not too far from her. She wasn't sure if her own gravestone still stood in that cemetery, but Liz was certain that Tom's did. They'd been busy. That was the excuse she had used, but if she were honest she didn't think she could look at it. There were still moments where she was hit with the overwhelming fear that she'd lost her mind and imagined him coming home to her. That if she looked at the gravestone with his name etched into it that the illusion would shatter and she would lose him all over again. It was absurd, she knew it was, but knowing that didn't make the fear any less present.

Liz drew in a deep, steadying breath and squeezed her eyes closed. She wasn't there to handle that. Not that day anyway. She had another grave she had been avoiding that she needed to visit. One foot in front of the other took her to the grave and there were fresh flowers laid across the top. Dembe must have been by.

She hadn't brought flowers. She hadn't even been sure she would drop by until the car was parked. Even as she stood there she didn't know what to say to the man that had equal parts upended her life and saved it so many times over.

Her knees bent and Liz sank to the ground, taking a hard seat. "I know I promised to come by more last time," she tried. "I know that I need to mourn you. I've never been very good at that, have I?" She blinked hard, feeling the tears building and slipping down her cheeks in the late summer afternoon. "There's no one to go after. They're gone and it's just…." Her voice trailed off as she heard soft footsteps behind her and she turned and looked up, blinking into the sunlight.

"You missed our meeting," Sharon Fulton said by way of greeting.

"So you tracked me down?"

"I had a feeling you'd be here. May I?"

Liz offered a shrug, trying to pull herself together.

Fulton turned her gaze on the tombstone. "I don't have any love for that man. I know what he's done, what he would have continued to do."

"He saved Tom's life," Liz murmured.

"Do you believe he could have redeemed himself?"

Liz looked over at that, the question. "What do you mean by that?" she asked carefully.

"If he had lived, so you think he would have been a better man?"

A long silence stretched between them and Liz turned to look back at the gravestone. Reddington had always been a walking contradiction in her life. The man with all the answers that would give none. He had saved people and he had killed them, sacrificed others and then himself. The offer to walk was put in the table more than once, but somehow he had always managed to make himself indispensable at just the right time. If he had been honest, maybe…. maybe things could have been different. Maybe they could have continued without it destroying everything.

"He did," Liz said after a long moment. "He died to make sure my family lived. If that's not worth redemption I don't know what is." She could feel Fulton's eyes on her and she kept her own gaze focused on the gravestone. "We could guess what he would or wouldn't have done if he'd lived, but what he did do is what matters."

She heard a small huff from the other woman. "And what do you think that means for you?"

Liz pulled in a deep breath. "I'm still figuring that out," she murmured honestly.

There was a long stretch of silence and Liz was certain that she'd failed whatever test Fulton was trying to administer. Right then she couldn't find it in herself to care. Maybe Tom was right. Maybe there was something off about the woman.

"I'm recommending a probational reinstatement," Fulton said at last.

That pulled Liz's attention around. "What's the catch?"

"You and I will continue our meetings. I'd like to keep talking with you, keep helping you through this grieving process, especially on a personal case like this one."

Liz watched her for a long moment, unsure if she trusted the woman or not. In the end it didn't matter. She wanted - _needed_ \- to have Tom's back in the St Regis case. As everything came together between the Task Force and Halcyon on it, she was running out of time, and only Fulton could give her what she needed in it. It was a deal she would need to make.

* * *

The sun was dropping low in the sky and while DC wasn't winding down for the night, there was a shift at that hour. Men and women in business suits left their offices at least for a short time and filled the surrounding bars. This one was no different, and Aram had been lucky to snag such a good table at that particular hour. The others were all on their way. Samar had made contact with an old Interpol associate, Tom was wrapping up something with his Grey Matters team at Halcyon, Liz was… somewhere - she'd been more vague than usual that day - and Ressler was picking up the girlfriend that they were finally getting a chance to meet. He had grumbled about it all day, but Aram thought it was exciting. Their lives were so intertwined between work and personal that it was nice to take a breather in the middle of it all.

Aram certainly needed a breather.

He cringed a little as he felt the small box inside of his suit jacket. He had been deliberating for weeks now, every piece of advice he had been given swirling in his head and contradicting the other. Ressler said that she would assume any ring would be a proposal while Liz thought that it would be taken as a proposal only if Samar wanted to marry him…. if he meant to pop the question or not. Tom had flipped it around on him, though, and told him to look at what he wanted it to mean. None of those answers helped though. Not really. Even if he did decide that the ring was meant as a proposal, what if Samar didn't want that? What if she didn't want to marry him? The idea was devastating. He couldn't imagine his life without her. He didn't want to. No matter how it played out, he needed _her_. A ring didn't change that.

Aram jumped as a hand came to rest on his shoulder and Samar's soft laugh reached his ear. "You're thinking hard about something," she teased lightly and kissed his cheek.

He tried for a smile, but it felt strained and fake. If her expression was anything to go by it looked every bit of that too. Samar pulled a chair a little closer and took a seat. "Something on your mind?"

Her eyes met his and Aram found himself swallowing hard. "I was, uh… just thinking. About you. And me. Us, I mean."

Samar's lips tilted up just a little at the corners. "Good things?"

The panic didn't subside, but it was joined by a flood of warmth at her smile and it left him in a strange limbo of uncertainty. His gaze flickered down. "Yeah," he managed after a long moment. "I just…. You're happy, right?"

That seemed to catch her off guard and she blinked at him. For just half a moment the panic won out before her expression softened. "Yes," she said firmly. "Very."

His mind ran away with him and in that moment he couldn't bring himself to think of a world without her. A world in which he didn't wake up next to her each and every morning. He wanted to marry her, and in that frozen moment he thought she might even want to marry him too. "I, uh… so…." He reached clumsily for the box in his pocket, but her gaze flickered past him. He looked around. "And oh look. The Keens are here," he grumbled, his tone a little more sour than the two probably deserved. He huffed and tried to put on a smile for them.

"Ressler and the new girlfriend gotten here yet?" Tom asked as he slid into one of the chairs with his back against the wall. He and Samar both had good views of the rest of the bar while Aram and Liz were at either end of the table. Hopefully Agent Ressler and his girlfriend wouldn't have a problem with their backs to the bar.

"Ressler left out just before I did and said he was picking her up," Samar answered with an amused smile.

Liz grinned. "No reason to wait on him for drinks."

The two women slipped back out and waved the guys off in the offer to help as they started for the bar, leaving them to keep claims on the table.

Tom sank down a little deeper on the bench seat and his gaze fell on Aram. "Did we interrupt something?"

Aram blinked and then sighed, risking one glance back to see that Samar and Liz were out of sight before he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the ring box. Tom loosed a low whistle as he opened it. "Okay. _That_ might be why Ressler said she would think it was an engagement ring. That's nice."

"I wanna marry her," Aram said, the confession riding out on a single breath and halfway jumbled together.

Tom offered a lopsided smile. "Good for you, man. Congrats."

"What if she says no?"

The other man shrugged. "Not sure why she would."

Aram shook his head, closing the box and hiding it away again. "You wouldn't get it. I bet you knew Agent Keen would say yes."

"Not once," Tom chuckled. "First time I was so nervous I dropped the ring. I didn't get a chance to even pop the question before she saw it. Second time was after she'd been on the run. I didn't have a plan. Didn't even know I was gonna do it." He ducked his head a little. "I didn't even have a ring, just a washer from some of the repairs I was working on on the boat."

Aram snorted a laugh. "You proposed with a washer?"

That wide smile returned as Tom looked back up. "Don't let her tell you she didn't wear it for a while too." He paused, looking like he was lost in the memory for a moment. "Point is I knew nothing mattered without her. If you want to spend your life with Samar, let her know. You guys can figure out what that looks like." His gaze flickered beyond Aram. "That was fast."

Aram turned to see Samar and Liz with drinks in hand already and he couldn't help the smile that tugged into place as Samar caught his gaze.

"The bartender was very attentive," Liz answered with a smirk and Tom flashed her a grin.

His expression slowly faded to something that bordered on concern and Aram turned to follow his line of sight. Ressler was walking in with a beautiful woman on his arm. Tall, dark skinned, and with a bright smile, it looked like even he was put at ease. Not Tom though.

"Babe, is that…"

Liz managed a choked laugh. "You ever tell her I was alive?"

"She'll know now," Tom answered and the smile returned as he offered a wave to Ressler's girlfriend who was staring at them now. "Hey, Ellie."

* * *

TBC

 **Notes** : Well, now we know who Ress' new girlfriend is ;)

I mean, Ellie does have a tendency to just... pop up. Teacher, Realtor, doctor... randomly coming to Liz's funeral after it looked like she cut ties with the Keens and hugged Tom at it? I mean, the woman is full of surprises. She also seems like a genuinely kind and intelligent person, and Ress deserves all the best after all the crap he's been through. I've been entertained by the idea for a long while now, but this was the first time I was able to find a place to work it in.

Thank you for your patience on this chapter! The convention was a ton of fun and while I'm still playing catch up on both sleep and writing, I'm getting there.

 **Next Time** : Ellie gets a crash course in the strange dynamic of the Task Force, the Hargraves track down their son's adoptive parents, and Tom gets a second surprise of the night.


	6. Chasing Ghosts

**Chapter Six : Chasing Ghosts**

The greeting hung in the air and Ressler felt the way Ellie stiffened at his side, slowly withdrawing her arm from where it was looped through his. She was staring at the Keens like she had seen a ghost - maybe two - and Tom offered her a sheepish grin. "I meant to call after the funeral-"

"Which one?" she deadpanned.

Tom grimaced at the tone, head tilting to the side. "Fair. That's…. fair."

Liz didn't look much more comfortable with the situation. "It's good to see you, Ellie."

Ressler's thoughts spun into overdrive. She knew him. She knew them. Every possible scenario, from the least likely to the most and back again, played through his mind, jumbling together so that he couldn't find a way to pick one out that didn't have a terrible conclusion. Typical. He had wanted just one piece of his life that wasn't dragged through the muck of everything. The question was how deep through it this went.

"Don?"

Ellie's voice dragged him out of his thoughts and he found her watching him, a little worry in her eyes and he wondered how many times she had called his name. He swallowed hard, his throat running dry. "How do you know them?" She blinked at him for a moment and he hadn't known her to take so long with an answer. That wasn't a good sign. "Are you…" He motioned towards Tom, but it was Liz that answered.

"No. Oh, no. Nothing like that. Ellie introduced us, but I knew her first." She glanced over to her husband. "Didn't you meet her to meet me?"

"Yeah." Tom flashed a grin, his tone more relaxed than it ever should have been for what he was saying. "Just didn't expect her to set us up on a blind date."

"Okay. Stop," Ellie said as she pulled out a chair and fell into it hard. "I don't need to know that. I told Liz years ago the less I knew about…. whatever it is that you do, the better. That stands. Let me live in ignorance that you and I were actually friends."

"We _are_ friends. The reason I met you doesn't change that," Tom answered with a shrug and turned that dark blue gaze on Ressler. "She's not a spy, Ressler. You can breathe."

Ressler's eyes narrowed just a little as he took a seat next to Ellie.

"I mean, who could blame him for thinking it?" Aram asked and then stopped as if he realized he was about to barrel full force into a sensitive topic as Samar shot him a look. "Well, I mean, it's not like it hasn't happened before…."

"How did you two meet?" Samar asked suddenly, swinging the conversation around.

* * *

Raymond had never been fond of Masha's husband, even if he had accepted it in the end. Even when Raymond had been willing to die to save his life, Katarina Rostova didn't believe for a moment that the decision had been made for Tom Keen himself. He had just benefited. No, the sacrifice had been for Masha and her happiness. That was one of the few things that kept her from ending the infuriating man's life as he continued to chase the fool's errand that was dismantling St Regis, and continued to put her daughter and granddaughter in danger by doing so. She would have thought one of McCready's boys would have been smarter than that.

She would have thought Scottie and Howard's son would have been smarter than that. Not that they had been a lot of help in stopping his foolishly idealistic pursuits. Now Katarina had to get involved. She had been trying to avoid that, little good it did her.

It hadn't taken long to discover why the Hargraves weren't much help. They were distracted by an old search that they had kicked back up again. They were chasing ghosts rather than handling the real and very present dangers that their family faced. Like parents, like son, apparently.

She found them in Florida of all places. It was hot and sticky and humid, even after the sun had set. Katarina crinkled her nose as she stepped out of the cab into it, adjusting her sunglasses as they slipped down her nose a little. She spotted Scottie sitting at the bar alone and started towards her.

The taller woman turned as Katarina set her purse down on the bar and took the seat next to her. "There better be a damn good reason you're sitting out in _this_."

Scottie turned towards her. If she was startled by her sudden presence she didn't show it. "I could say the same to you. I'm busy."

"Tracking down the former Phelps'," Katarina said lightly, "when you should be stopping your son from making a mistake that will cost him everything."

The dark haired woman rolled her eyes. "Tom is fine. It's not nearly the debacle you made it out to be last week."

"Or perhaps your priorities are in the wrong place." Katarina's gaze swept the open air bar. "Was this your decision or your husband's?" She saw the smallest twitch in her old friend. No one else would have seen it, but Kat had her answer. "Howard then. Let me guess, he's fixating?"

"Davis kidnapped our son."

"And he'll be tossed into a deep, dark hole. Adding kidnapping to that won't change anything. You're both letting your emotions blind you."

"I don't think I asked for your opinion, Kat."

"He's going to get Masha and Agnes killed."

"I have it covered."

"How?"

Scottie pushed a short breath out through her nose and her attention was stolen abruptly. Katarina followed her gaze to see two people who she had to assume were Scottie's targets. They were weathered, well out of their prime, and hardly looked like a threat worthy of the Hargraves' attention.

"Hey," she growled, snapping her fingers in front of Scottie's face. "How?"

Scottie glared. "He brought me into the project. He wants to give the kids a place to go when he dismantles St Regis."

Katarina groaned. "How did _your_ son turn out so sentimental? With the upbringing he had?"

"He's trying to do what's right, Kat."

"For who? Those kids don't care about being saved. I guarantee he didn't at that age."

"You don't know him."

"Neither do you. You know the mask he wears now. The one he tries to pretend is him." She loosed a breath, standing. "You let him do this and not only will he get Masha and Agnes killed, he'll go down with them. One way or the other, you will lose your son again."

She turned. There would be no convincing Scottie here and now. All she could do was leave her with something to think on and hope she came around before it was too late.

* * *

They had chosen to sit separately to cover both exits. Scottie was determined to make the meeting she had set with Tom on the following day, so they only had one shot at this. If the last few hours were anything to go by, that shouldn't be too difficult. Frank and Eva - Jimmy and Rhonda, as they were going by these days - had been putting back the drinks since they sat down. It wouldn't be long now. Howard felt almost giddy at the thought. After so many years, this would be done and he could finally let himself accept that their son was home and safe. He could find some closure. They could. This was for all of them.

"Kat's here."

Howard resisted the urge to turn at his wife's voice as she took a seat with him. "You're supposed to be watching the back exit."

"They're not going anywhere fast."

An amused sound escaped him. She ain't wrong there. "What'd Katarina want?"

"To complain about my approach to Tom's idea about St Regis. She thinks he's painting a bullseye on his, Liz's, and Agnes' backs."

Howard risked a look from the corner of his eye before redirecting his gaze again.

"Do you agree?" Scottie asked pointedly.

He loosed a careful breath. "I think the timing is wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"He's rushing into it because he wants to protect the girl. They have some sort of past, but he's not going to be able to protect her. If he were…. taking advice I'd tell him to wait until there were fewer people vying for power. He's not though. He'll do what he'll do."

"He reminds me of you in that."

Howard chuckled. "And you. He didn't stand a chance in getting out of a stubborn streak. He's smart, though. Kat doesn't give him enough credit."

"I'm not worried about Tom's decision as much as I am about Kat jumping in the middle where she doesn't belong."

"She's always been a wildcard, but let's cross that bridge when we get there. Look." He nodded towards where their marks were standing - more steadily than he would have liked - and Scottie stood. She tucked her purse under her arm and finished off the last sip of wine in her glass. They moved, neither needing to say anything. They knew how to read each other after so long.

They caught the former Phelps in the alley leading to the bar's parking lot. Frank pulled himself up to his full height as Howard stepped in their way. "Got a problem?" he asked gruffly and Howard let an almost lazy smile tilt his lips.

"I'm looking for someone I think you might know."

"Doubt that."

The smile didn't fade. "Frank Phelps."

"Doesn't ring a bell. I'm just trying to get to my car, buddy."

Scottie was silent as she came up from behind them. "And Eva Phelps," she said, drawing their attention around and the woman's gaze traveled down to the small pistol that Howard's wife held.

"I don't know who you people are, but we're out of the business. Retired. Whatever intel you want, we won't have."

"We want information on an old op of yours. Christopher Hargrave," Howard prompted and saw the small twitch that was all the proof he needed that they knew plenty about his son.

Scottie motioned with her gun. "Let's take a drive."

* * *

They had needed this. Despite the rocky, awkward start, their night out was turning into the stress relief that they had all needed. Samar was tucked in close to Aram who had his arm draped around her, both listening to Tom rib Ressler about something or the other. Liz found herself smiling as she tuned into that conversation, Ressler popping back and Tom stopped mid-sentence before a bright smile took over and he shrugged noncommittally. There was something comforting about the teasing and the ease they all approached each other with. They were family. Her daughter's godparents and her team that had stood by her - and more recently Tom - time and time again.

"Don't take this like I've forgiven either of you," Ellie said as she slipped into the booth next to Liz, "but I'm glad you're not dead."

A laugh escaped Liz as she was pulled from her thoughts. They had room for one more. "Thanks, El. I appreciate that."

"Thought you might," the other woman said lightly as she leaned in, shoving Liz a little with her own shoulder. "Tom showed me a picture of Agnes at your funeral." She stopped, shaking her head. "That's so weird to say."

"Yeah," Liz agreed, leaning back. "She's gotten so big."

"How old is she now?"

"Four. Tom says she looks like me, but she has his smile and his eyes."

Ellie's own smile widened. "I'm glad you two… I don't know? Made it? In more ways than one. You always were head over heels for each other. It was kind of annoying."

Liz had forgotten how much she had missed Ellie. They had had a lot of friends during their first marriage, but people had been drawn to Tom, not to her. Now that he didn't feel the need to keep up a certain façade he didn't bother with those old friendships any more than she did, but Ellie was different. Smart and funny and the last person to take crap from either of them, she had always been a good friend.

"You and Ress, though," Liz teased and Ellie ducked her head.

"He's great. Really."

There was a hesitation in her voice that Liz didn't like. "Yeah?"

Ellie glanced to where the others were laughing. "I guess I'm just waiting for something to go wrong. I don't exactly have the best track record."

"Well, neither of you are secret spies. That's a start," Liz said as she took a sip from her beer.

"Seemed to work out alright for you."

Liz's gaze followed over to Tom. "We've been through hell to get where we are."

"Would you change any of it?"

"The fact that I thought my husband was dead for over a year," Liz answered softly.

"You two are anything but normal."

"You're telling me. We're trying, though. It's just…. not everyone else's normal." She looked back to Ellie. "Ressler's a really good guy. Classy, unlike some of the guys I remember you dating."

"Jerk," Ellie laughed.

"He is though. He and I were partners for years. He's…. kind of a workaholic, but so are you." She caught Ellie's darker gaze and held it. "He's not going to screw you over."

The other woman seemed to relax at that and reached for her drink on the table. Liz sank down a little in her seat, a sense of peace working its way through her. It had been an uphill battle, but things were working out in their own way. Ressler deserved to be happy and Ellie did too. They all deserved a little happiness.

She watched Tom stiffen in his place, something catching his attention. Just like that his posture eased again, but she saw something in his eyes that didn't set well. He'd seen something, but he didn't want the others to know.

"Anyone want a refill?" he offered as he stood.

"You know there's a waiter for that," Ressler reminded him and Tom shrugged.

"Need to stretch my legs."

"Hey?" Liz called, holding up her mostly finished glass like she was taking him up on his offer.

He seemed to catch the look, though, and stooped down closer so he could speak quietly as he took it. "Gina."

The name left him so softly she almost missed it, and it was everything she could do to keep her expression even. She trusted him. She chose to trust him. She just hoped he wasn't about to land himself in trouble.

* * *

He had spotted her across the bar and immediately knew something was wrong. It was possible she was there to take another swing at him, but he didn't think so. Not with all these witnesses - witnesses armed with both weapons and badges - at his back.

His suspicions were confirmed as he moved closer and saw the bruises not quite shielded by the cap she had pulled low against her head. Tom risked one glance back to make sure none of the others had followed him before taking a seat with her. "How bad?"

"Looks worse than it is."

"We both know if that were true you wouldn't be here."

She looked up and he caught the full glimpse of the cut along one eyebrow and what would show as deep bruising along her cheekbone. "Gina…."

"You were right. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Doesn't hurt," he tried for a tease, but even he knew it fell flat.

She looked up, brown eyes meeting blue. "I need your help, Jacob. If I'm going to lose St Regis either way, I'd rather take those bastards down with it."

He watched her carefully, looking for any signs of deceit. She met his gaze and let him study her. After a long moment he nodded. "Tell me what happened."

* * *

TBC

 **Notes** : Let's take a vote. Who believes Gina? Alternatively (or maybe in addition to): Who trusts Gina?

Someone made the comment on this story early on that everyone has different agendas and that's so true. They may be clashing soon. Fair warning ;)

 **Next Time** : Trouble finds the Task Force and the Keens while St Regis goes after Agnes.


	7. Trouble

**Chapter Seven: Trouble**

No matter what she wanted, Gina Zanetakos was always trouble. It wasn't just that she was Tom's ex, or that she'd had him shot and left for dead. It wasn't even that the woman had been ready to rip Liz's throat open on a filthy bathroom floor a few years earlier. It wasn't just one thing, it was all of it. All she had done, all that she was capable of doing. It was the way that Tom thought he could save her when Gina clearly had no interest in being saved.

He had been gone too long and it was making Liz nervous. She couldn't see them from where they were all seated, but since he had gotten up she had clocked at least three men enter the bar that sent off every instinct she had.

"What's going on?"

Liz turned, finding Ressler leaning across the table.

"Nothing."

His eyes narrowed. "I know that look, Keen."

She glanced back towards where Tom had disappeared. She trusted him. It was Gina she didn't trust. Liz turned to meet her former partner's gaze. "Zanetakos showed up."

"Son of a bitch," Ressler growled. "That's where-?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong?" Ellie asked from his other side.

"Nothing."

Liz quirked an eyebrow at that. "You see the guy at your three?"

Ressler turned as discreetly as he could to take a look at one of the men Liz had spotted. She saw Samar glance over and Aram was a little more obvious, but less so than Ellie.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked.

"He's armed," Samar answered.

Ressler stiffened. "You sure?"

"I have a better angle." She took a sip from her drink. "I'm sure."

Liz grabbed for her phone. A call was risky, but easier to play off if Gina was right there. Either way, she needed to warn Tom.

"What can I do?" Ellie asked.

"Wait in the car," Ressler answered, his voice tight as he handed her the keys.

"I can't just-"

" _Please_."

The phone started ringing in Liz's ear and she risked a look over at Ressler. His expression was tight and pleading and Audrey flashed through Liz's thoughts.

Ellie must have seen something there too. "Okay, but if anyone gets hurt…."

"I'll know right where to find a first responder."

. The line connected. " _Hey, Liz. It's fine. I'll be back in -_ "

"It's a set up. She brought people with her. You need to get out of there _now_."

* * *

Tom stiffened where he sat and he felt Gina's eyes on him. Slowly the mask of calm fell back into place. Panic didn't get anyone anywhere. "Thanks. I'll see you in a few," he promised and, just before ending the call, he put the phone back to his ear. "Love you."

He ended the call and his gaze snapped immediately to Gina. She blinked at him, whatever snarky comment she was going to make dying on her lips. "What?"

"I thought we were past the games, Gina."

"What are you-?"

"Was this going to be an ambush? A way to show them you've got things under control? Kill me, maybe get Liz and the Task Force in the crossfire, and -"

"What are you talking about, Jacob?" Gina hissed, leaning forward in her seat. "There's no ambush. I need your _help_."

He watched her carefully. He knew her tells, but she knew that he knew. She adjusted. She always had.

"If there are people here, they're not mine. Not anymore."

Tom spotted one of the men that had drawn Liz's attention. The guy turned and he saw the weapon tucked under his light jacket. He would have it pulled and firing into a crowd of people at any sudden moves.

"Okay," he breathed. "He hasn't spotted us yet. Pull the cap low and I'll meet in the parking lot."

"Let me guess. Mustang?"

He smirked as she stood, and kept a watch on the man ready to fill at least one of them with holes. Maybe both. He sunk back in his seat, pulling his phone up to his face to look like any other guy waiting on someone to come back. Long fingers worked on a text.

 _Not Gina. Get ahold of Scottie and Howard for Agnes._

Candy had proven to be a great asset with Agnes, but if these guys turned their attention on him, Tom had no interest in his daughter being anywhere near it. His parents would have the ability to move her safely. They would know what to watch for.

There was a long moment and his phone buzzed.

 _No answer. Trying Nez. You okay?_

He glanced over. The man was gone. Tom heard movement behind him and didn't quite get turned around before he felt something press against his back.

"There are only so many people Zanetakos would go to for help," the voice behind him said. "You must be Phelps."

"I think you've got the wrong guy. My name isn't Phelps."

"Not anymore. Do you prefer Hargrave or Keen? I hear you've got some family connected to both."

"Let me guess, you've got eyes on them?" Tom growled.

"Closest is your fed wife. You make one wrong move and I'll have my partner put a bullet between her eyes. No coming back from that. So you're going to stand up slow, keep your hands where I can see them, and you're going to take me to Zanetakos. Do that and you might actually walk away for good."

"Okay," Tom answered carefully. "Alright." He stood slowly. He couldn't fight him like this. He had to be careful. Patient. This guy knew who he was, that much was clear, but the moment he saw his opening he was going to show him exactly what had earned him his reputation at St Regis.

* * *

"Tom's going to be pissed when he finds out you came with me," Nez said as she leaned back against the wall and waited for the elevator to let them off on the Keens' floor. "He's made it pretty clear he doesn't want you anywhere near Agnes."

"I'm great with kids and backup never hurts," Solomon answered with a shrug. "Anyway, How is he going to know?"

"They installed cameras after Zanetakos got in. And backup for Agnes? Really?"

"You don't know what's waiting for us up there."

"I talked to Candy five minutes ago. Everything's good. This is just a precaution."

The bell chimed and the doors opened. Solomon motioned for her to go first, half bowing in the motion and she rolled her eyes at his playful manner. Tom might not like him, Liz might hate him, but their daughter adored him. He had her in stitches every time and it was half the reason she'd agreed to the "backup." Agnes was smart. She would know something was going on. That and he had been out of town quite a bit recently. They had to take time where they could find it.

They neared the door and Nez instantly reached for her weapon. Solomon did the same at her side, the Keens' front door hanging open ever so slightly. Sometime in the five minutes since she had ended the call with the nanny they had come for Agnes.

A shrill, terrified cry came from inside and Nez led them in. Their nanny - the one that had apparently watched Tom as a child as well - lay sprawled out on the living room floor, blood pooled under her and a vacant look in her eyes. A woman dressed in black had ahold of a screaming and kicking Agnes Keen who was fighting with everything she had.

Nez didn't hesitate. She didn't even take stock of the others. She pulled the trigger and the shot went off, the woman who had ahold of Agnes dropping instantly and Agnes tumbled to the floor.

"I've got you!" Solomon shouted and she heard shots go off around them. Nez dove for the little girl, keeping her down and she felt the way the sobs were shaking her small frame as she covered her with her own body.

The room fell silent and all Nez could hear for a moment was Agnes' ragged, terrified breaths and the way her own heart hammered against her ribs. "Are you okay? Agnes?" She sat up a little, checking her.

Solomon moved through the room, checking the downed attackers. He turned and Nez saw him wink. "Backup."

She snorted, shaking her head with a mirthless chuckle. "Call it in." She turned back to Agnes and all at once the little girl launched herself into Nez's arms. "Hey. Hey, you're alright. It's okay. The bad people won't hurt you. Uncle Mattie and I won't let them. You hear me, Agnes?" The little girl nodded, not releasing her. "You believe me?"

Finally she let go and her entire face was red, tears still in her eyes and snot bubbling out of her little nose. She was a mess and terrified, but looked whole. She watched Nez for a long moment. "Miss Candy?"

Nez didn't dare direct her attention to the dead woman. "C'mon, kiddo. Let's get you out of here."

Fresh tears broke free. "Mama and Daddy?"

"They're safe," Nez promised as she scooped her up. She pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "You wanna go see them?"

Agnes nodded enthusiastically and Nez glanced over to Solomon.

"Get her out of here. I'll wait for our people."

It took a moment, but as Agnes sank over her shoulder she nodded. "I'll call the Keens," she promised. "You get ahold of Scottie and Howard."

He nodded and Nez started out. The gunshots would bring cops, and while she had no doubt that Solomon would be able to handle that end of it, the little girl in her arms didn't need any further trauma for the night.

* * *

"Has he texted back?"

Liz looked up from her phone as if staring at it could will her husband's response into existence. "No. I'm going to-"

"Liz," Ressler said tightly and she froze at the tone. "There are a lot of civilians around. We have to play this smart."

"We have backup in the way," Aram promised.

"It'll get here too late," Liz grumbled. "I don't even know if they've hurt him or-"

"They'll recognize you, but I'm not as likely," Samar offered. "Distract them. Head towards an exit or something and give me a chance to get get there."

"That could work," Liz murmured and pocketed her phone. "If you need-"

"I'll let you know," Samar promised.

"Watch your back, Keen," Ressler said quietly as she stood.

"You too. Ellie make it to the car?"

"Yeah, but she won't leave."

"She'll be okay."

He didn't look convinced, but Liz couldn't take the time to assure him then. If Tom had found trouble - and Tom _always_ seemed to find trouble - he would need them to back him up. It wasn't like he would give Gina over to save himself.

One of the dark-clad men followed her through the crowd and circled around, cutting off her exit. She shifted seamlessly, changing directions and aimed for the women's restroom. There was a window she could slip out through there.

Or could have if he hadn't followed her in.

Liz turned as the man shut the door, standing between her and the exit. "I'm going to need you to come with me, Ms Keen."

"Like hell," she growled.

"Long as your husband gives us what we need, no one has to get hurt."

"You don't know Tom, it sounds like."

A quirked smile tilted the man's lips. "Better than you'd think."

He lunged forward and Liz dodged. It wasn't a large space and as he caught ahold of her, slamming her into a stall, she hoped they were alone. His grip was relentless, hauling her fully off the floor and her boots dangled. Liz grimaced, hands wrapped around the tall man's wrists as he held her up and he slammed her back again hard enough for her to see stars. She had to find a way to break free. Fast.

Liz kicked hard, her boot connecting with his shin and when she felt his grip loosen very slightly she slammed her knee forward into his gut hard. He released her instantly and she dropped, not waiting for him to catch his breath or straighten before moving again. Her knee connected with his face and she heard the satisfying crack of his nose as he stumbled back, blood gushing. One more good hit - his head to the sink - sprawled him out on the bathroom floor and Liz stepped back, adrenaline coursing through her from the fight. They had him. If she could believe what the man had said, they already had Tom.

* * *

Tom felt the barrel of the gun dig into his back as he and the St Regis operative moved through the crowd and and towards the exit. He let his gaze sweep the crowd as discreetly as he could and found a familiar face. Samar Navabi only held eye contact for the briefest of moments, but it was enough that Tom was certain she had at least an idea of what was happening. Liz had told her team. He'd have to thank her for making the call that he hadn't made if they all got through this.

"I heard about you," the man behind him said as they moved into the parking lot. "You were supposed to be one of McCready's best."

"I was his best," Tom countered.

"You don't look like much anymore."

That pulled a chuckle from him. "Never did. That's what made me so dangerous."

Tom didn't give the words a chance to sink in as he turned, startling the younger operative. He had a hand on the gun before the shot could go off and he jerked forward. His head slammed into the other man's and Tom used the momentum to pull the gun away. He flipped it on him as his former attacker stumbled, trying to stay in his feet. He looked up, still dazed, but angry. "You just killed your wife."

"I'd be more worried about whoever you sent after her if I were you," Tom countered.

"Your kid, then."

That struck a nerve and Tom leveled the weapon. "Who are you working for."

"You already know that."

" _Who_ inside St Regis?"

The younger man gave a mirthless chuckle. "If you think I'm gonna -"

The shot rang out and he fell dead to the pavement. Tom swiveled, ready for the next fight, and found Gina lowering her weapon. "He wasn't going to tell you anything."

Sirens sounded in the distance and Tom held out the gun in his hands. "They'll want to match ballistics."

She frowned, but traded weapons with him. "You're no good to me in jail."

"Good thing it was self defense, and I'm pretty sure you still have a warrant or five out on you under a few names. Get over to Halcyon's headquarters here in town. I'll meet you there."

"And until you do?"

Tom flashed a smile. "Be nice to Dumont. He's probably still there." He caught her eyes. "C'mon. Just like that time in Juarez."

"Your contacts betrayed us both."

He cringed. "They did, didn't they? Bad example. These won't. I'd bet my life on it."

"Or mine," she said and turned, slipping between the vehicles. The cops wouldn't catch her. Tom sighed, aimed the new gun at the dead man and shot again. He didn't want to give anyone any reason to think he hadn't pulled the trigger both times.

"Tom!"

He looked over at the sound of the voice and saw Liz running towards him. He dropped the gun at his own feet so he could catch her mid-leap, arms wrapped protectively around her. "You okay. They hurt you?"

"I gave worse than I got," she promised and Tom leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Gina's on her way to Halcyon. Have you heard from-?"

"Nez has Agnes. I got a text."

He loosed a breath. "Okay. Good." He looked back to the corpse. He looked younger now and Tom couldn't help but wonder how long he'd actually been in the field. How long since he'd just been a student at St Regis.

"Hey," Liz murmured, her fingers against his chin and she pulled him around. "You okay?"

"Yeah," came the automatic response.

"Honest?"

He frowned. "I'll get back to you on that."

She smiled thinly at the statement and reached for her badge as armed officers approached them. "I'm Special Agent Elizabeth Keen. We're okay here."

Funny, because that felt like the furthest thing from the truth.

* * *

TBC

 **Notes** : I nearly forgot to post the chapter again O.o Thankfully I still have a little time and here we are.

Well this was a wild chapter between The Keens and the Task Force finding themsleves on the dangerous end of St Regis and the same organization going after Agnes. Poor kiddo.

For anyone that's been watching Ryan's New Amsterdam, I MAY have written a one-shot and posted it... Heaven help me I don't have time to write for another fandom lol

 **Next Time** : The Hargraves interrogate their captives, Gina runs into some trouble at St Regis, and Tom gets stuck at the crime scene.


	8. Look Ahead

**Chapter Eight: Look Ahead**

They had put up a fight at first, but the truth was that they didn't have nearly enough left to match the Hargraves. The Phelps' - or whatever name they chose to go by these days - had surpassed their usefulness to the Cabal and had spent the better part of the last decade hiding from them. If Scottie were to place a bet, she thought they had used up every favour they had. They had no one left to help them, which made her job easier. She would have been lying if she said the idea of them being completely spent after everything didn't leave her with a dark sense of satisfaction.

Frank Phelps blinked rapidly as Howard tugged the bag off his head and his gaze swept the inside of the plane. They were already airborne. There was no way he was escaping and he knew it.

It was Eva that spoke though. "What do you want with information about a kid that's been dead twenty years?"

Scottie resisted the urge to to bristle at her tone and forced her voice to remain steady. "What makes you think he's dead?"

"Kid took off more than he stayed put," Frank answered gruffly. "One time he didn't come back. We looked. It was our job to keep him alive, so we looked. Trail went cold in New York and didn't turn up after that."

Howard's gaze turned colder and Scottie knew he was going over the story that Tom had told them about McCready picking him up. "How was he taken?"

The other man shrugged. "No clue." He tilted his head a little. "That's who you are. Howard Hargrave. Knew you looked familiar."

"Who took him?" Scottie pressed. "Conrad Davis?"

There was a small flinch, but it was gone as quick as it had come. "Told you. No clue."

"The Cabal is done," Howard said, his voice dangerously clear and calm. "They can't touch you, so before you lie to us again, I'd consider putting a little more weight on the enemies that have you thirty thousand feet in the air with only our good will keeping you there."

The Phelps' turned to each other, a silent conversation between them. They had no choice and all of them knew it. It was a matter of reminding them of that.

Finally they turned back and Frank tilted his chin up just a little in the slightest of nods.

* * *

They weren't arresting him, but the Metro PD weren't inclined to release Tom very quickly either. He had surrendered the weapon to them and the only reason they hadn't cuffed him then and there had been Liz's badge. One question after another about the gun, the driver's license with one name and a Halcyon security card with another, and half a dozen other things were fired off in rapid succession and they had little interest in listening to Liz on it. Tom was calm and charming, explaining that they were in the middle of an open investigation - no, he couldn't tell them the details - and the dead man had taken him at gunpoint out. He had gotten the upper hand and taken two shots.

"He's handling this better than you are," Ressler said as he leaned against a table.

"He fakes it better than I do," Liz grumbled. "Have they cleared Ellie yet?"

"Yeah. I was actually coming over to see if you could give her a ride. I figured you guys would be going to Agnes."

Liz huffed. "We need to."

"I'll see what I can do to speed it up." He glanced around, his tone quieter when he spoke again. "Where did Zanetakos end up?"

"Halcyon, if she listened to Tom. Also where Nez took Agnes…"

"Go. I'll make sure they don't arrest your husband."

Liz tried for a smile and elbowed him lightly. "Don't you arrest him either."

That pulled a small smirk from him. "No promises."

* * *

Gina Zanetakos took the long route to the location Jacob had given her, looping around and through the city before finally arriving at a building that looked like it was undergoing heavy construction. Security was still tight, though, with visible cameras all around, and she would bet a few hidden ones as well. She knew of Halcyon Aegis, of course, but outside of accepting the money from Jacob six months before she had never had direct dealings with them. This didn't seem like a great way to start.

Dark eyes scanned the grounds, looking for an in that wouldn't trip every alarm this place had. Normally she would have cased the place before trying to slip in. At the very least she would have been there in daylight so she could have a better idea where things were. Gina hadn't had that option, though. If the call had been hers to make she wouldn't have been there at all, but she had used up every favour and exhausted every other option on the table. Jacob had been a desperate move and one she was only willing to take advantage of when she knew she had already lost St Regis. At least she could watch the bastards burn with his help. Ironic, really, that the two of them had led St Regis into a whole new era for McCready, had been responsible for his death, and now would be responsible for tearing it all to the ground.

"You don't look like a gardener."

Gina spun, reaching for a weapon, and found one already drawn on her. The man - tall, dark, and thin - had been silent as a cat, his teeth flashing white in the darkness as he grinned at her dangerously, motioning. "Don't do anything foolish. I wouldn't want to bloody what looks like a _very_ expensive jacket there."

She raised her hands slowly, the gun loose between her fingers and watched as he reached for it. Gina chose her moment on years of training-built instinct, shifting her weight and pivoting around. The shot missed her and her boot caught the man's hand, forcing him to release his grip. He stumbled a little, but caught his balance quickly enough. His grin only broadened. "Have it your way then."

He was fast and agile, quickly disarming her as well. It was a dance as they bobbed and dodged each other, giving and taking and countering. He was good. Better than most she went up against on a regular basis. Part of her wondered where he had received his training before a kick to the jaw slammed her back hard enough to remind her that it didn't matter.

Gina caught herself before she hit the ground and straightened, wiping at her split lip. She needed to end this or he would.

Motion caught her attention and she stopped just short of launching herself at him, and a voice stopped him from attacking her in return.

"Solomon."

He turned and Gina saw Elizabeth Keen in the shadows. She looked like she had been a few rounds herself and sounded like she wouldn't have any issue with shooting the man to stop him. He must have really done something to the fed to hate him more.

"Meet Gina Zanetakos," Keen offered. "Gina, looks like you made it."

Solomon's smile stretched across his face and there was a dangerous amusement in his eyes. "Keen's ex," he chuckled and looked between the two women. "Looks like he has a type."

Liz Keen roller her eyes and shook her head. It didn't look like this was his first attempt to get under her skin. "Is Nez inside?"

"She is. She has Agnes."

She nodded and started trudging past them, but stopped just as she was moving past Gina. She turned a cool, calculating look on her and after a long moment the blind woman snorted. "What?"

"I just want to be clear: you so much as look like you're going to betray us and no one else in the line of people ready to kill you will have the chance."

And that was it threat made, Keen turned towards the building.

Gina just stared for a long moment and Solomon chuckled next to her. "I wouldn't test her on it. Those two'll fill you with bullets if they think you're a threat." He started after Keen and Gina joined, wondering he was speaking from experience.

* * *

"They do _not_ like you," Ressler said, pulling Tom's attention around from where he'd been failing not to glare at the Metro PD processing the scene. They'd let nearly everyone everyone go except the Halcyon CEO. Liz had tried to get him released, and even Ressler had spoken to the officer in charge. He'd been told they were almost done with him, but they hadn't made any move towards it yet.

Tom snorted. "Cops."

Ressler chuckled, leaning back against the table with him. "Could be why they don't like you." His gaze swept over the younger man. He looked tired, worn. He was leaning heavier than Ressler had realized when he joined him and as he lifted one hand from where his arms had been tightly crossed over his chest, running it through his dark hair in an irritated movement, Ressler saw the tremble there that had mostly been controlled over the last six months or so. The doctors had found the right balance of medication following his long recovery period and everything that had followed, and from what the agent knew, the episodes that had terrified Liz so badly right after getting her husband back had been few and far between since then. Exhausted, stressed, and probably late on whatever round of pills he was supposed to swallow that night, it seemed like the right combo for a crash. "You need me to grab any of your meds from your car?"

Tom looked over, seemingly startled by the question. "No. Liz has them in her purse. I'm good for now." He glanced back out towards the officers. "Are they telling you anything more?"

"Not a lot. This is their crime scene, technically."

Tom cleared his throat, drawing his attention over to him. "Since we're working together on this-"

Clarifiers never sounded promising coming from Tom Keen. "Yeah?"

"Gina showed back up. Figure you know that by now, but it's better coming from me."

"Transparency and all that," Ressler grumbled.

"Hey, I said I'd do my best with it, not that I'm great at it."

"Mr Keen - Hargrave? - you're clear to go," one of the officers said and handed Tom what looked like a couple of IDs.

" _That_ might have been the hold up," Ressler pointed out and Tom shrugged.

"It's not like people usually take my whole wallet."

Ressler gave a thin smile and waited a beat to make sure the local cops were out of earshot. "Listen, I know enough about the two of you-"

"You know what Reddington told you about it," Tom snapped tiredly. "And from what Liz thought a few years ago-"

"That you were sleeping with her?"

That earned him a glare. "Not while I was with Liz."

Ressler raised his hands. "That's between you two. I gave up trying to talk Liz out of you ages ago." He waited for the light jab to sink in and watched the younger man relax a little. "But it's not just what Reddington said. I saw the two of you work together in Costa Rica. Hey-" he cut him off before Tom could start snapping again - "I just mean it's complicated. Didn't she shoot you just before Agnes was born?"

"Had me shot," the other man answered, like that was somehow better.

Ressler swallowed the retort. "Just… trust us before you trust her?"

Tom turned to look at him, a startled expression settling onto his features. He stared for a moment before nodding slowly. "Least you guys won't shoot me huh?" he tried for what Ressler thought must have been a joke and a smile tugged at one corner of the agent's lips.

"Don't give a reason to, Keen." He glanced over at the officers still working the scene.

"You need any help corralling them?"

"No, I've got this. Go make sure your wife doesn't kill your ex. Before they decide they change their minds about you."

Tom chuckled and pushed himself off the table, taking the exit that would lead through the fewest officers possible. Ressler watched him go, shaking his head. He hadn't expected working with the man would be easier than working with Reddington, he just hadn't expected their first case with him in a position of leadership to be…. this. He should have known better. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

The new Halcyon headquarters were quieter than Tom had expected as he pulled in, but a quick glance at the clock showed why. They were getting closer to dawn rather than dusk. He was starting to feel it set in deeply, the peace they had found earlier that night blown away by the events with St Regis.

Everyone was gathered in his office, exhaustion hanging low over them. Agnes squirmed awake in her mother's lap where Liz sat on the couch speaking lowly with Nez. The little girl's burst of energy startled everyone as she cried out " _Daddy_!" and launched herself at Tom.

He caught her mid-leap and scooped her up, some of the stress slipping away as his daughter flung her arms around his neck, but it was back in an instant when she buried her face in his shoulder and began to sob. He held onto her, one hand moving in gentle circles against her back. "Hey. Hey. It's okay, baby girl. What's wrong?"

It took a moment for her to choke out the words between the wet sobs. "I thought they hurt you, Daddy. Like Miss Candy."

Tom looked over to Liz who grimaced. That wasn't good. He would need to get the full story that he obviously hadn't heard yet. It could wait until after he handled the sleepy, traumatized little girl in his arms. He pulled her in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'm right here, Agnes. I'm okay. How about you?"

She sniffed hard and sat back in his arms, nodding. He offered her a lopsided smile. "You're really brave, you know that?"

She nodded again, drawing a smile for him and he kissed the side of her head before setting her down. His gaze swept the room. Liz and Nez, Solomon, Gina, and Dumont. Scottie and Howard were nowhere to be seen.

Gina pushed herself off the desk she had been leaning against like she was going to try to catch a minute, but Liz beat her to it. Tom's wife wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice soft in his ear so that Agnes wouldn't hear her tell him that Candy hadn't made it. Nez and Solomon has gotten there moments too late. She pulled back, her expression tight. "I should have called Nez first."

"It's not your fault," he promised, his fingers brushing along her cheek. They were all exhausted and raw, and they would need to be ready to coordinate with her team in just a few hours. Who needed sleep anyway? He turned to Nez and Solomon. "Any word from Scottie and Howard?"

"MIA," Solomon answered, sinking to the couch with Nez. Agnes piled into his lap as soon as he did and Tom did his best not to glare. He hated how good Solomon was with his daughter and how much she adored _Uncle Mattie_. Neither he or Liz had been able to stop it, and in that moment it didn't even need to be on the agenda. St Regis knew he was involved now. A united front would give them the best chance to come out of this whole.

"Jet shows to be in Jacksonville," Dumont piped up from where he was sitting at Tom's desk. "Scratch that. They're airborne. On their way back, if they filed the right flightplan.

"Yeah, well they'll be too late," Tom growled, running a hand through his dark hair, standing it on end.

A loud, angry sound drew his attention and it looked like even Solomon couldn't fully distract a sleepy Agnes.

"Jacob."

His attention spun around to Gina who looked just about done with the chaos the Keens were used to functioning in.

"Right," he huffed. "Liz, do you need-?"

"Neither of are sleeping tonight," she said firmly and he nodded, knowing better than to push. She started for the couch. "I'll get Agnes to sleep in the room back there and we'll get started on what Gina knows. Your pills are in my purse."

He watched her gather their little girl in her arms and disappeared down the hall to the back of the office space, all eyes on him when he looked back. He loosed a long breath. Scottie and Howard would have to wait. They had bigger issues than their obsession over a case that didn't matter anymore. They needed to look ahead.

* * *

 **TBC**

 **Notes:** I hate to do this again, but next week is going to be another hiatus week. I'm behind in writing again (in my defense I'm writing a TV show on spec and I'm trying to finish 3 full scripts and a LOT of plot pointing before the new year), so instead of rushing it I'm going to take it slower. I have every intention of updating two weeks from now. Fingers crossed.

 **Next Time** : Gina is taken to the Post Office, decisions are made, and Howard and Scottie come home.


	9. Trust

**Chapter Nine: Trust**

He wasn't sure Liz had been as lucky, but Tom had managed to snag a couple hours' sleep before the call came in that had them rushing to the Post Office. He was halfway through his second cup of coffee by the time they arrived and he tossed the disposable cup in a bin as he made his way towards the other holding cell after securing Gina. Somehow Ressler had managed to get his hands on the man that had attacked Liz, and while Aram said that they could only find aliases on the man so far, Tom was confident that he knew the man's name.

Tall, dark haired, and arrogant as hell, he smirked as Tom entered. "Jakey Phelps. It's been a while."

Tom didn't let his mask of indifference slip. "Justin Masterson. Ten years or so."

"Still hate that, huh? The nickname. You're working so hard to make sure it looks like you don't. That's your tell, you know. That blank look you get."

Tom snorted and circled the table. Masterson tugged at his restraints, the cuff's chains clanging against the metal table. "Met the wife."

That finally brought a slow, almost lazy smirk that quirked his lips up at the corners. "That's gonna scar, you know," he said, motioning to the side of his face still caked in dried blood.

"Assholes wouldn't let me clean up." He waited a beat. "Or was that you?"

"You pissed Ressler off. He gets like that sometimes. He's got a protective streak."

"That why he let you in? To do what he can't?"

"He doesn't know I'm here."

Masterson flashed a toothy grin. "Even better." He settled back. "So what does the wifey think about you sticking your neck out for the ex? Does _she_ know, or is that a secret too?"

The smirk returned and Tom pulled the chair out opposite of Masterson and took a seat. "Look," he started, pulling the other man's attention fully around, "you and I never liked each other, but we did respect each other."

"Is this where you tell me you're going to do me a favour, Jakey?"

"You're still alive after attacking my wife. That's more than most get." He tilted his head, watching the other man carefully.

"And now you want something in return," Masterson said slowly, the amusement easing just a little from his posture.

Tom leaned back in his chair, never breaking eye contact. "That is how this works."

* * *

Gina Zanetakos sat in the interrogation room alone in the Post Office. She was calm, despite the deep bruising that highlighted her cheek and her split lip that was beginning to swell. Solomon had given her that just before she had arrived. Liz never thought she would have found herself wanting to thank the man for anything, but there she was.

There they all were. She heaved a tired sigh, one hand reaching up to tug the band loose from her thick hair, letting it fall against her shoulders. Agnes was sleeping in her office and she had barely stirred on the drive over. At least she was getting some rest. A cranky four-year-old was the last thing she needed.

"She starting to sweat yet?"

Liz turned at the sound of the voice behind her and found Nez Rowan paused at the entrance to the small room. She came to stand next to her in front of the one-way window. "Not yet. She doesn't like cages though."

Nez hummed softly. "Probably trying to decide if she's in one or not. When is your boss due in?"

It took a moment for Liz to register that Nez was referring to Ressler. "He stopped off to check on Ellie. She wasn't thrilled when I dropped her off at her pace last night."

"You'd mentioned," Nez said with an amused look dancing in her pale eyes before she turned her attention back to Gina. "Tom's convinced she had nothing to do with the attack on you guys or on Agnes."

There was a skepticism in Nez's voice Liz wasn't sure she'd heard yet. "You think he's wrong?"

"I think that your apartment building has really good security and she was able to slip it once," Nez answered, her eyes narrowing.

Liz hummed a soft response and saw Nez turn to look at her out of the corner of her eye. "How's the search into your grandfather going?"

That pulled a laugh from her. "It's been at a standstill. I've been trying to get my badge back so I could have Tom's back in this. I did, by the way. Get it back."

"Congrats. You now have to conform to the Bureau's rules and regs." Nez flashed her a smile. "Could have come to work for Halcyon."

"I'm where I need to be."

"If you say so." The other woman paused. "However it happened, it'll be good to have you on this one."

The door behind them opened and Aram stuck his head in. "Agent Ressler's here."

The two woman exchanged a look before starting out without another word. The sooner this was wrapped, the better.

* * *

Bill McCready had spent a good chunk of his life in Army Intelligence, finding and cultivating the contacts that eventually allowed him to create what became the St Regis program. Its earliest incarnations had been created in the last years of the Cold War, but Tom - Jacob Phelps then - had been picked up years later. Less than a year after he arrived Gina Zanetakos had been recruited, and the two of them had risen in the organization. At one time they had been on track McCready's heirs apparent, with Gina set to take over the operations and Jacob to take over the education portion of the school. That had all been blown to hell when Tom had chosen Liz over St Regis.

Gina hadn't been able to give them anything about St Regis' past than Tom hadn't already given, but she was able - and willing, mostly - to give them current information. Tom had been right. The organization was drowning. New operatives weren't performing up to standard and they were losing old business faster than they could replace it with new. The whispers had started some time before, but Gina had buckled down, determined not to lose control. She had been convinced that her place in McCready's lineup would give her a layer of protection others might not have had. It was a hope that had landed her beaten into the ground and running to the only person she seemed to trust.

If she really did trust him - or if Gina was trustworthy in any sense at all - still remained to be seen.

"How was Ellie?"

Ressler was pulled from his thoughts by Tom's voice. The man had been nowhere to be seen when he'd arrived, and when Liz had told him that she'd let her husband in with her so-far unidentified attacker from St Regis, it had been all Ressler could do to not rush the room. Liz had promised he would behave and Ressler needed to extend the same trust to the Halcyon CEO that he was giving on letting them in on an immensely personal case. Tom might _want_ to add to the bruises Liz had left in him, but he had a responsibility to keep things above board now. Well, more above board than he used to. Halcyon was still an intelligence company with plenty of secrets.

"Ress?"

The older man cleared his throat. "Yeah, she's… well, not happy. She did make sure to tell me you owe her a really nice bottle of wine and a meal?"

Tom choked on what sounded like a real laugh. "Yeah. And then some." He shrugged. "We used to have her over all the time. She likes my cooking."

"I keep hearing about it."

"You've got a standing invite. Both of you. It'd be fun."

Ressler smirked and turned his attention back to the screen where Aram and Dumont were working on positioning the Artax Network over the coordinates Tom and Gina had provided for the physical school. "Is my perp still in one piece?"

"I didn't lay a finger on him. We just had a chat."

"Get anything useful from him?"

He wasn't sure he liked the expression that flickered across Tom's face. It was part amused, part offended, and part calculating. "I'm gonna need you to trust me on something."

Now he was certain he didn't like that look.

"Uh, Agent Ressler?" Ressler turned to where Aram was. "We've got it."

The two men turned together and saw the satellite view of a compound. It was laid out just like both Tom and Gina had said separately. The school itself spanned several acres, a collection of building bundled in close while others were scattered. Ressler wasn't sure what he'd really expected, but it looked like a high-end private boarding school. The kind that only the ultra rich would send their kids off to, not a spy training school that turned out some of the most dangerous killers the world didn't even know about.

Tom stepped towards the screen, motioning as he spoke. "So you have the main academic center there. Classes, training course, sparring gym. Offices there, dorms on the other side. For the staff that lives on campus, they're housed there." He pointed to what looked like it could have been a set of apartments.

"What about security?" Samar asked.

"Housed on campus," Tom confirmed. "Most are former students that couldn't pass the undercover portion of the training. They tend to be, uh…" Ressler watched him tilt his head, his expression closing off "Little rougher?"

"They don't polish up to hide their darker tendencies in the field, huh?" Solomon chuckled from his place. "Those tend to be the _mean_ ones."

Tom shrugged a little. "Yeah."

"There's no overpowering the compound is there?" Ressler asked, his gaze shifting over as a guard led Gina Zanetakos into the War Room, still cuffed.

"Not if you want to survive it," she answered.

"You're here to give us a way into that," Liz said testily, her expression hard.

Gina shrugged. "Jacob and I can tell you every entrance, every protocol, but I guarantee they changed them the moment I was gone."

Nez Rowan quirked a skeptical eyebrow. "Exactly what are you bringing to the table then?"

Gina shot her an amused look.

"And that brings us around to trusting me," Tom followed up and Ressler frowned. "We have three contenders for heading up St Regis."

"Michel Geffroy, who heads up the deep-cover training, Anton Tallert, martial arts, and Victor Franks."

"What does he cover?" Aram asked, his voice hesitant like he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Advanced interrogation," Tom answered. "They'll be united until they take Gina out."

"You too now. Sorry."

He shot her a look and she smirked.

"Let's get back to the trusting you part," Ressler prompted.

"Right," Tom huffed, turning to look at him briefly. "We're not getting into the compound while they're united. We can't wait to take them out."

"So we lure them out," Liz said, giving Ressler his first definitive clue that her husband had pitched this idea to her first. He wasn't sure if that was god or bad yet.

"How?" the ginger agent prompted.

"Masterson."

"Who?"

"Sorry," Tom chuckled. "The guy you have in holding. He came into St Regis right before me."

"He hates you," Gina said, her tone more amused than it should have been.

"He thinks he can predict me. That's his problem. We can use that."

"Still not sure where the trust is coming in."

Tom stopped, meeting Ressler's gaze and holding it. "I need you to let him go."

"He won't buy that," Gina argued.

"He will if he thinks he's escaping. We just had a chat in his holding cell and I offered to transfer him to Halcyon, away from the feds, if he was willing to spill on what he knows. He said he'd take the deal, but it's just to get out. We need to orchestrate the transfer, but let him think he's breaking out. Won't be too hard. You know what he thinks of the feds."

"He's not wrong."

Tom shrugged noncommittally.

Ressler snorted. "So you want me to let him go to do…. what exactly?"

"Bring them outside of their stronghold," Tom answered and a quick glance at Liz showed that even if they'd discussed it, she wasn't thrilled with this part.

"The moment it's confirmed that I'm helping Gina it ups the ante," Tom continued. "It'll pull them out and that's our best chance of getting to them."

"By using you as bait?" Aram asked uncomfortably. He looked to Liz. "You can't be okay with this."

Liz loosed a breath. "No, but they're coming if we want them to or not. We always knew it could happen," she added a little sadly, glancing at Tom.

He offered a thin smile and reached out. She took his hand as he spoke. "This way we control the situation instead of waiting for it to come down around us."

A long silence followed, no one daring to breathe in it, much less speak. Ressler didn't like it, but he could see the warped logic behind the play. It was a gamble, but a calculated one, even if it did require a fair amount of trust from the FBI's side of things.

The heavy silence was broken as an alarm screamed from Dumont's phone. He leaned over, checking it, before turning back to Tom. "Looks like the Hargraves are back. Got a couple of someones in holding too."

Tom's expression darkened. "In DC?"

"Outside town, yeah. You want me to radio the 'copter?"

"Yeah. I'll meet Mike on the helipad." He looked back around like he'd forgotten he wasn't alone.

His swiveling gaze paused on Liz and she offered a tight smile. "Don't kill your parents," she murmured as she leaned up a kissed him briefly. "Ressler and I have it here. Don't we, Ress?"

He snorted. "Not much of a choice," he grumbled. "We'll put something together and if you're not back, I'll contact you."

Tom nodded and extended a hand. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Trusting me."

Ressler took his hand, a thin chuckle escaping as he shook it. "Don't make me regret it, Keen."

* * *

There was an air of calm that surrounded Tom as the elevator plummeted down to the bunker below the hills outside of DC. He knew where they'd been and, at least in a general sense, why they'd been there. They just wouldn't drop it. No matter how many times he asked them, how many ways he tried to get them on board with what mattered right then, Scottie and Howard remained stuck in the past.

The doors opened, emptying him out into the base. Scottie was standing just in front of the large, glass doors that led into the conference area. She looked over, cutting her conversation with the guard she had been speaking to short with a smile. "Thank you," she said by way of dismissal and turned her attention on her approaching son.

He didn't match her smile. "Where's Howard?"

"In the interrogation room with Frank and Eva Phelps."

Tom blinked hard, the substance of what she said overwhelming the fact that she'd chosen to be honest about it. "Frank and Eva Phelps," he related. "Dammit, Scottie…."

A frown tugged at her lips. "Listen-"

"No, you listen. I _get_ that this means something to you guys. I get that, but it's done. It's over. Davis is going to rot in prison till the end of his life on espionage charges if you connect him to my kidnapping or not, and even if you do it won't change what happened. There's no _point_."

"Tom -"

"No," he snapped, cutting her off and he could feel his control slipping. He was exhausted and, even if he wouldn't admit it, a little terrified of what they were facing. "It's done. I'm here, and I need _you_ here, Mom. I need to be able to trust that you're here. There isn't anything bigger than that. There isn't anything that could possibly be -"

"We know why you don't remember."

Tom stopped, blinking hard, and he swallowed the rest of his outburst down as best as he could. "I was four, Scottie," he said roughly.

"And you've told both Howard and me that you can't recall anything prior to, what? Five? Somewhere around there? Long after the adoption went through. Long after they told you your name was Jacob."

"It doesn't matter," Tom croaked out, and he couldn't help the fear that gnawed at him, no matter how hard he pushed at it.

Scottie reached forward, her hand against his face. "They altered your memories. There was something that you saw or something that you heard or…. We don't know, but they didn't just take you from us, they took us from you. You've told me that you thought we abandoned you, that you lived your life believing that. They did that to you. They made you think that. Everything… Tom, _that's_ why it's important."

Tom tried to pull in a steadying breath and found that he just… couldn't. It felt like his throat was closing and his lungs rebelling. He pulled away from her grip. "I need some air," he managed and turned before she could stop him. It was too much, and for the first time in years, Tom found himself running.

* * *

 **TBC**

 **Notes** : Thank you so much for your patience on this chapter! I hope it was worth the wait. It's kind of a birthday gift to myself today to get to post this. I've been so busy and fighting so hard with this story that I was really pleased when ch10 flowed a bit better than the others have been.

For anyone that's been reading my Blacklist stories a while, did you recognize a character that's popped up here and there? ;)

If you feel so inclined, I'd love a review on what you're thinking about the story so far :D

 **Next Time** : Liz and Gina have a chat, Tom does his best to process the new information that his parents have brought home, and St Regis makes their own plans.


	10. Moving Forward

**Chapter Ten: Moving Forward**

One of the many perks of working out of a black site with an organization that had even more ways around the bureaucratic red tape than the Task Force did was that things moved quickly. The moment Ressler agreed to Tom's plan, everything fell into motion. The Grey Matters team had set up the transport they would need, Nez assuring them that they did have operatives trained to make it look like a real escape.

Everything was in place. They just had to wait for the transport vehicle, and that left Liz with time to fill.

She stepped out of her office where Agnes was still snoozing in the couch, glancing at her phone as she did. Nothing from Tom. She could only hope that whatever happened he would be able to reign his emotions in enough to focus on this. It had started and there was no stopping it now. Tom had warned her after McCready had nearly killed him in their home. No matter how far he moved from it, St Regis could always find him. And those behind it had proven they would. She hated dangling him out like bait, but if they wanted to end the threat, they had to act.

Liz's gaze swept the war room to find the woman that had made sure the danger came to their door. Gina Zanetakos was sitting in an empty chair, still cuffed, and flashing her guard a charming smile. He stood straight and still, doing his best to ignore her, but even from a distance Liz could see she bothered him. She was good. There was no question about that. The question had to do with the level of trust they could put into her.

The blonde's dark gaze swiveled around on Liz and her chatter stopped abruptly. There was something familiar in that look that studied and assessed, and it took a moment for Liz to admit to herself that it reminded her of Tom years ago. Before Agnes. Before their reconciliation and his struggle to find something more beyond just what his mentor had encouraged him to become. That look was hard around the edges and dangerous. She knew why the guard was uncomfortable.

Liz let a slow smile tilt her own lips as she motioned. "I have this."

"Agent Keen…"

"It's fine," she said, her tone not leaving any more room for an argument.

After another moment of indecision he nodded, accepting the order and leaving her alone with her husband's ex…. something. Lover? Friend? Complicated didn't begin to cover it.

Brown eyes fixed on her. "Are you here to threaten me again?"

"Do I have a reason to?"

A low, rough laugh escaped the blonde Russian woman. "I'm not the threat you should be worrying about."

Liz held her gaze firmly, matching it as she pulled a chair around to sit opposite from her. "Give me one reason to trust you."

"You need me."

"You admitted they changed every protocol the moment you left and Tom knows plenty about the people after you." Her gaze hardened just a little. "Try again."

Gina snorted, the smile returning. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

The other woman leaned forward. "Jacob wants to walk away with what he thinks are the best parts of St Regis, but no one - not him, not the little boys club that is trying to push me out, not _anyone_ \- can get to the files left behind by the Major without me. They need me to open it."

"So what? They thought beating the hell out of you would do the trick?"

"They wanted to break me. They didn't get the chance."

Liz loosed a breath, sitting back a little. "That's why Tom wanted to go to you."

Gina flashed a grin. "Did you think it was out of some kind of affection?"

Yes, and she still did. As much as Liz loathed Gina, she knew that her husband would always care about her. They'd grown up together and they'd protected each other. He wanted to protect her, and if her giving the signal for her thugs to shoot him down hadn't been enough to break that, nothing would. He had always been absurdly loyal in his own way. Liz had to accept that he would always care for this woman, but he didn't love her. He had never loved her like he loved Liz. That was one thing she was certain on.

And she knew that was why Gina hated her in return.

"He needs me to get the intel from St Regis. I need him to get out of this alive. It's just business." Gian's gaze scanned the room. "What's the deal with these parents he found?"

Liz shook her head. "If it's all just business, there's no reason for you to know." She stood and started back towards the offices.

"Hey!" Gina shouted after her. "I did what you asked. The least you can do is take these off." She rattled her cuffs. "It's not like I'm getting out of here with half a dozen people ready to shoot me."

Liz snorted, but didn't bother with an answer.

* * *

Howard had hoped for some time to regroup before his son discovered that they had been gone and why. They had just locked the Phelps' in a holding cell when the alert had come through that the helicopter was landing at the base. There was no question who was on it or why, but by the time that Howard had finished securing them Tom was nowhere to be seen. Scottie had told him. She had tried to convey why the search had been so important and he had just…. left.

The helicopter was still on the pad outside the base and a quick run through digital inventories told him that there were no vehicles missing. He wouldn't go far on foot, and he didn't. Howard found his son not too far from the ground-level entrance to the base, crouched down at the base of a tree and leaned back against it. His head was tilted so that his gaze was fixed on something above him, or maybe nothing above him. He wasn't quick to react even as Howard cleared his throat to make sure his presence was known.

"Moments like these make me wish I hadn't quit smoking," he said after a long moment, his voice rough.

"I didn't know you smoked," Howard answered softly as he made his way over.

"Yeah. Between ops. It was more of a stress thing." He motioned a little, his words clipped and he heaved a deep sigh. "Sam - Liz's adopted dad - had lung cancer at the end. She hates the stuff, so I haven't touched it in years now."

"Can't blame her for hating it if it killed her father."

Tom snorted, his expression darkening. "Reddington killed him before the cancer could."

If there was anything more or if Howard had just hit a sore spot, he wasn't sure, but Tom didn't show any signs of getting up, so he looked for a place to take a seat with him. He found a small spot and sank down, knowing his body would protest in a painful way when he tried to get back up, but it'd be worth it. Having him there made everything worth it.

Dark blue eyes blinked slowly, the hard look fading from them. "Scottie told me what you found."

Howard hummed softly and a rough, almost pained chuckle left his son. "I thought… It sounds crazy, but not when you look at everything that's happened."

"What does?" Howard prompted, not quite sure what he was getting at.

"That someone set this up. That someone… faked the DNA tests, that they wanted us to believe that I'm your son." Howard thought he saw his son's eyes glass over, and when Tom blinked and a tear escaped down his cheek he wondered just how often he had considered the possibility.

It did sound insane, even Howard had to admit that, but he knew enough about what Red and Katarina had put Tom's wife through when it came to DNA tests and fathers and lies to know that the Keens must have come to expect the wildest outcome from whatever new threat they faced. They prepared for the worst.

He cleared his throat and reached out, fingers touching one of Tom's bent knees. "Hey." He waited until the younger man met his gaze. "I didn't need a test. Your mother didn't either, even if she was too stubborn to admit it at first. We knew _you_."

Tom pulled in a deep, heavy breath, but it caught in his throat. Howard squeezed his knee just a little tighter. "It's in your eyes, your laugh. Little mannerisms that you've never quite lost. The moment I saw you I knew. Tests can be faked, but you… You're our Christopher. Our boy. That can't be faked. You have a daughter. Heaven forbid you didn't see her for the next thirty years of her life, you'd know her the moment you found her, wouldn't you?"

Tom nodded slowly. "Yeah," he admitted softly and tried for a smile as he reached up, his hand covering Howard's briefly. They sat there for just a moment, and he saw just a little of the overwhelming stress that had taken over his son ease from his shoulders and Tom's fingers tightened against his knuckles. "Thanks, Dad."

Howard's lips tugged at the corners. "We can get them back. Those memories, I mean. The technology we have with Whitehall's procedures can be adjusted to-"

"I don't want to."

That startled the older man. "Why on earth not?"

Tom swallowed and met Howard's eyes again. It looked like a struggle to hold that gaze. "Did you know that St Regis went after Agnes?"

There was a moment of numbness before Howard felt like he'd taken a blow to the middle, his attempt to show his son just how certain he was by using his own daughter as an example setting badly in the wake of the news. No one had told him them. How had no one told them? It clicked then. "The missed calls…"

"Liz was trying to get ahold of you when the threat showed up. She finally gave up and called Nez. By the time she and Solomon got there they were about to take off with my daughter." His voice was hard, the pain just barely audible.

"Is she alright?"

"Terrified, but yeah. They got to her in time, but Candy wasn't as lucky. She's dead, Howard."

The words weighed down on him and he leaned forward, shifting his weight on the hard ground. "Tom…."

"Listen, we can't change the past. Not the fact that you guys weren't there or that the Cabal took me away like they did. None of that can be fixed, but what's going on with St Regis… that's happening now. Right now. We're luring the people in charge out and we're going to deal with them in whatever way we have to. I need to _know_ that you're with me. Here. Now. Not stuck thirty years ago."

Howard stared for a long moment, taking it all in. Everything that had happened since that terrible day at the beach had ripped at his very sanity, and after everything they had been through and everything that they had fought for, at least some of the damage remained. Even with his son there, even with being able to choose to trust Scottie again, all of it tore at him in those late hours and drove him to find a way to fix it. To somehow restore what had been taken from them all. He should be able to. With everything he'd accomplished in his life, surely he could do that for his family.

But he couldn't, and trying had nearly cost him his granddaughter. Trying might cost him his son again.

"Yeah," Howard managed, his voice catching in his throat. "I'm with you."

Tom nodded slowly. "I'm holding you to that, Dad."

"Do, son. Please do."

The boy he'd lost so long ago gave him a small, real smile and unfolded himself from his place, standing slowly and grimacing as he did. He reached down, though, and offered his father a hand up. "I'm getting too old for all of this," Howard chuckled.

Tom's smile didn't slip away as he dug into his pocket, fishing out his cell phone that appeared to be buzzing. "Hey, Liz. What's the update?" Howard couldn't hear his daughter-in-law on the other end, but he saw Tom's expression shift. "Right. Yeah. We'll be back into town soon." He ended the call. "We're in play. Will you-"

He nodded firmly. He promised he would be there, and he didn't dare give that up so soon.

* * *

Masterson remembered the day that McCready had brought Phelps in. He'd been young. That was what had stood out first. Round-faced but half starved under the layers of clothes he'd tried to hide from the New York winter under. He hadn't spoken to anyone on the campus, though that was hardly unusual. None of them were particularly chatty and he had looked like he had met some of the same dangerous obstacles as so many that came through the school.

Funny, he could remember when he showed up, but Masterson had no clue what happened to the kid for the first week or two he spent in the program. That had been until he'd landed in a fight with him.

He couldn't recall what had been said or who had started it, but the scrappy kid had taken a swing and it had escalated quickly. Justin might have walked away with a broken nose, but he'd made Phelps pay for it. Cracked ribs, fractured jaw, and several other injuries that had landed him in the infirmary. McCready hadn't been happy until Phelps found another chance to retaliate, and somehow it had become a running competition between them. Looking back it was surprising one of them hadn't killed the other over the years.

Masterson really wasn't sure if he was fond of the little punk or hated him, but none of that mattered now. The survival of St Regis did. McCready was gone and Gina had all but destroyed the organization, running to Phelps the moment she found herself overwhelmed by those left behind. He and that precious little family he'd built wouldn't get out alive, and that would be on her.

Escaping the feds had been a synch, to the point that Masterson wondered if it had been too easy. Phelps was clever, but he wondered if the other man was reckless enough to let him go. Not to gain trust, certainly, and he had to have known that they would take him down with Zanetakos. McCready couldn't protect them from the grave.

Masterson pressed his palm against the reader leading into the offices and it buzzed, allowing him through. It opened up into a hallway and he offered a wink to the guard on the other side, the bulkier man looking hard pressed not to add to his bruises at the gesture.

"You do know how to push buttons."

"Part of my charm," Masterson offered to the figure standing where the hall bent to the left. He was older, lean, and there had always been something just a little off in his eyes, especially when he smiled.

"You have no charm, Masterson. Nothing real, at any rate," the man chuckled.

"You're an asshole, Franks. When did you get into town?"

"Just now."

Masterson tilted his head just a little. "Takes a lot to bring you back Stateside these days."

Victor Franks' smirk didn't fade as he motioned at him. "Who tried to rearrange your face?"

"Phelps' girl, actually. The fed."

He hummed softly, turning to start down the hall. "You met her, then? McCready never would admit to anything."

Masterson shrugged. "Jacob Phelps going rogue for his mark who works for the FBI isn't something he wanted to broadcast. She's cute."

"Don't even think it," Franks grumbled. "He's working with Zanetakos then?"

"Yeah. Do you know if we get the kid?"

"His people got there before we could."

They hit the end of the hall and pushed through a set of double doors to find two other men in the large, finely decorated room. Michel Geffroy, a man of average build and a forgettable face, looked up first, followed by Anton Tallert who was leaned against McCready's old desk. "You look like shit," he directed at Masterson.

"So everyone keeps telling me."

"Phelps' girl packs a punch," Franks offered and Geffroy snorted.

"I kept thinking there had to be more than just a pretty face to pull him away…"

Masterson opened his mouth, but Franks cut him off. "This has gone on long enough. Phelps and Zanetakos have aligned with the feds and Halcyon Aegis. We need them brought in alive long enough to get into McCready's files before they do irreversible damage."

"We never should have let him live when he left," Tallert grumbled.

"That was in McCready, then Zanetakos. It's our turn. We won't make the same mistake."

* * *

 **TBC**

 **Notes** : I hate to do this, and by my little two week skips I had hoped to avoid it, but I need to take a mini hiatus on this fic. I'm determined to finish it. I have another one that's eating my brain, but I won't even plot point in until I'm done with this one. (For those interested... it's another Tom Lives AU where Red tries to save him and tries to alter his memories prior to the attack to keep him from telling Liz The Secret, but everything goes wrong and he loses a decade's wroth of memories... yeah. It's driving me crazy). But nope, not that one. I'm really making very deliberate writing choices right now that I hope, eventually, might lead me to LA. I want to move when my lease is up in August and I need a spec script of a current show for my writing portfolio, so it's a no-brainer for me to write a Blacklist spec script. It's throwing me, though, because I NEVER write two big writing projects for the same show at the same time. I really feel like I need to focus on the spec script, and if I do I'll be able to knock it out pretty quick. It's the fact that I'm diverting my attention that's killing everything all at once.

Please follow this story. I do not plan to leave it unfinished. I just would really love to write for a living, and doing that requires certain sacrifices and some rearranging of time. I'm really very, very sorry about this, but hopefully it'll be for the best of both stories.

If you want to reach out while I'm on my (hopefully very mini) hiatus, catch me at takadasaiko6 at g mail dot com

I would love to hear from you guys, and if anyone wants to read the Blacklist spec script just let me know! I'd be happy to send it to you when it gets to sharable status. Honestly, it's just another fanfic XD

 **Next Time** : Tom and Gina discuss their odds against St Regis while Katarina makes a play to try to gain some control in the situation.


	11. Set Up

**Chapter Eleven: Set Up **

Gina had been on board with the plan to use Justin Masterson's own arrogance against him to help lure out the acting heads of St Regis. She was already in the crosshairs, so as long as it was done right, the quickest way to resolve the situation was for her and Jacob to do what they did best. If they had to play bait to do that, so be it.

Instead of meeting them on the battlefield, she had been shuffled from Keen's underground base to a next-to-top floor condo with security above and below. The windows were bulletproof, the door reinforced, and she could expect yet another guard in the suite with her. This one was prettier and owned by Jacob's pet company, but they had simply exchanged one cage for another, and one that was counterproductive to the goal she had thought they had agreed upon.

Her dark gaze drifted over the space. Theoretically it was set up to live in with a kitchen and a couple of bedrooms. It wasn't like they had had a lot of time to prepare it, but she did spot a bottle of scotch with a familiar label on it. Her favourite. Jacob must have been trying to soften the blow that they'd flipped everything on on her, and without her knowledge. He knew how she hated these sorts of ops…. the kind that left her exposed on all sides without the ability to fight back. She hadn't come to him to be fit in a corner to wait.

The man himself stood in the corner closest to the door with his wife, the two speaking in low, frustrated tones with each other. They were turned so Gina couldn't read their lips, and she wondered if they were about to be sent off to a similar set up with their daughter. Either Jacob wasn't as in control as he thought he was of the situation or he was trying to play it safe. While both options offered a different set of problems, they both ended in the same result.

Gina caught the brief, sharp glare that Keen threw her way before turning to look at Jacob. She reached up, taking his chin between her fingers to force him to meet her gaze, and Gina was surprised to see Jacob relax at the gesture that should have set him off. Instead he reached up, long fingers tangling in her dark hair, and he met Keen halfway in a kiss. They held each other there for what felt like a longer time than should be necessary, and Gina had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

Keen's hand drifted down the front of his shirt. "Be careful," she said, not bothering to keep the words private.

"You too. Love you."

His wife gave him a thin smile before turning towards the door, leaving Jacob alone in the condo with Gina. The blonde snorted. "Are you going to tell me the plan now, or are you really expecting me to just wait here for St Regis to attack and home that your people are lucky enough to fend them off?"

"It has nothing to do with luck."

There it was. This had been his call, or at the very least he had agreed to it. She stared at him as she took a hard seat in a chair, her mind spinning. She had come to him for help, and up until that point he'd delivered in the way Jacob always did. He thought outside the box, and when a solution wasn't immediately evident, he created one to get him to the goal he needed to reach. She had trust him, and now he was asking her to sit in this pretty cage and wait for them to kill them both.

Well, he could wait. "This is insane," she growled as she stood, starting for the door.

Jacob reached out and caught her, his grip firm on her arm. "You walk out that door and you'll have to fight your way out. My people may not have been trained at St Regis, but they're not pushovers. They have military backgrounds and come out of half a dozen other organizations just like ours was."

"You saying I won't make it?"

"I'm saying that you need to sit down. Have a drink or something."

"Wait for them to kill me you mean? You too."

He caught her gaze and held it. "I need you to _trust_ me."

"That's a dangerous request."

"I'm not your enemy here. In fact, it's looking like I'm your only friend."

* * *

Katarina Rostova moved through the building without opposition. A friendly smile, an easy lie, and she had slipped by the laughable security. They really should look into that if they had any interest in protecting the people they relied on for their agents' mental health.

Though they should also take a deeper look into their employees though, while they were at it.

She had kept tabs on her daughter, even if she'd kept her distance. Masha had passed every test they threw at her to be reinstated into the FBI, but she had struggled with the therapy sessions. It had been a small blip on Katarina's radar at the time when they had begun. Not something to worry about, because how much damage could this Dr Fulton actually cause? That had been the theory any way. After everything, she really should have learned her lesson by that point that the ones that looked innocent on paper had the darkest secrets to hide.

A voice from inside the office gave her permission to enter without pause and the redhead slipped in, shutting the door behind her.

"Elizabeth, we have a deal when it comes to your reinstatement. It…" Sharon Fulton's voice trailed as she turned in her chair, obviously not finding the woman she expected.

Katarina's lips stretched at the corners, the smile a little more dangerous than she had flashed in the lobby. "Good afternoon."

"I'm sorry, but I'm expecting a patient," Fulton said carefully and Katarina watched her stand. The movement was slow and cautious. Something inside the woman knew that her afternoon had just become much more complicated than she had anticipated. .

"Yes. Elizabeth Keen." Fulton's eyes narrowed and she squared her shoulders back, trying to appear a little taller. It was amusing, and Katarina had to purposefully push at the urge to play a lengthy game of cat and mouse with the woman. Any other day it would have been entertaining, but Masha would be there soon, and while tracking her daughter down had been the ultimate goal, she might as well handle one more potential danger while she could. "Tell me, what deal did you make with my daughter for her reinstatement?"

"Daughter?" Fulton echoed, but then there was a flash of understanding in her eyes. "You're Katarina Rostova."

"One of many names," the former KGB agent answered easily.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"But you haven't answered my question." There was a sweetness in her voice that neither of them believed for an instant, but it wasn't meant to fool. Fulton might want her gone, but that didn't mean that Katarina hadn't sparked her interest. The woman sought out those she felt hadn't paid for their so-called sins. Her focus was criminals, but that likely had more to do with access than anything else. A former spy was surely as interesting as any criminal could be.

"That's privileged information."

"Ah." She circled the desk, coming to stand directly in front of Fulton, her gaze sweeping her up and down in a curious fashion. "Is it also privileged information that you use the federal agents that you see as patients to deliver your own brand of vengeance against those you deem worthy of it?" She watched the other woman stiffen. "Is that what you intend to do to Agent Keen? Or something more?"

The question hung in the air, Katarina refusing to break eye contact. They stood there, frozen and locked in a silent battle of wills that Katarina had no question she would have won, before the door burst open.

There was a beat and Fulton's gaze slid past Katarina. "Agent Keen."

Katarina turned then to find Masha staring at her like she'd seen a ghost, her voice escaping on a breath. "Mom."

"Hello, Masha. We need to talk."

* * *

The fact that so few could read him had been one a major asset to Tom over the years, and even more so when people mistook what they thought they were reading for the actual truth. Justin Masterson was one of those people. He'd played the older man time and again over their years with St Regis, to the point that Bud had done his best to keep their paths from crossing while on a case. Good fun or a vicious rivalry that would have landed one of them dead at some point, Tom still wasn't sure either of them knew, but the Major had made sure they never found out.

Over the years he had found a select few that did have his number. Liz was the first one that he'd truly let in. She knew him, both before and after she'd found his secret, and to that day she was still the one that knew him best. Gina might have been a close second though. Perhaps not as much anymore, but she had known him - the real him - long enough that she was more likely to pick up on a lie from him than most. He knew he was playing with fire, but Tom had always been good at rearranging the situation to fit what he needed.

Ressler had asked Tom to trust them more than he trusted Gina, and the request had hit harder than the agent would ever know. Gina was a blind spot for him. He knew that, mostly, and Liz had been the one to point it out yet again when he wanted to let her in on the back half of the plan to lure St Regis' people out. If Gina wasn't playing them, she would be more useful in the know, but if she was it would get him killed. No. They had to play this smart, and she had to think that leaving the safehouse was something she had worn him down on, not something he'd planned from the start. He needed it to look like they were going into hiding and let the three leaders mobilized. Six hours was more than enough for that. Now he was just waiting on a signal that the both Liz's and his teams had everything in place on the other end.

Tom glanced at his watch, the numbers lighting up along with a text that was being sent through an encrypted line thanks to Dumont. It was one word: _Ready_.

He pulled in a breath, gaze shifting over to where Gina was on the move again. Over the last six hours she had been up and down, to every corner, and had opened up the bottle of scotch he had had waiting for her. She felt caged, just like he knew she would, and his insistence that she just needed to trust him and his people was only driving her further.

Gina stopped halfway across the room. "Like what you see?" she asked without turning to him and Tom chuckled, shaking his head.

"Not really into impatience," he answered, slouching back in his seat a little and watching her for a moment before allowing his gaze to drift over the the window. Heavy curtains hung over it and slowly he stood, moving towards it and peeking out. "But I get it," he said at last. He risked a look at his watch and the lie slipped out sounding closer to the truth. "It wasn't supposed to take this long."

"Then why don't we do something about it?" Tom turned, tilting his head a little as she continued. "You want to draw them out, but they're not going to attack here. It's too well guarded."

"I'm trying to keep you alive."

"Your people and your wife are trying to keep _you_ alive by sticking you in here to wait them out. You said it yourself: those guards out there aren't pushovers, and while Franks and the others might find a way to slip in eventually -"

"Geffroy always has a way."

"And it'll get your people killed. Is that what you want?" At some point she had moved, and Tom found Gina nearly nose to nose with him. She was trying to play him, which was something he'd been waiting for. He needed her to think she was calling the shots.

She reached forward, her fingers teasing with the material on his shirt. "You and me, we're good at ending things quickly because don't let the other side have a chance to catch up."

"Take the fight to them?" She made a small sound acknowledgement and Tom finally allowed the smirk to touch his lips. She thought she had him, but it was the other way around. If he could trust her - really, truly trust her - it would have been simpler. But he couldn't, and it wasn't, so there they were. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"It's not like I don't know how to slip my own guards. Let's take the fight to them."

She flashed him a smile. Despite the less-than-honest approach, this was going to be fun.

* * *

The last person Liz had thought she would run across in her therapist's office was Katarina Rostova. She had called Fulton - already late for her appointment - to let her know that she wouldn't be there. The older woman had pushed back and _reminded_ her that they had a deal. Liz returned to the field as long as she was willing to make her appointments. The fact that the appointment was conflicting with her job and the main reason she wanted to come back in the first place didn't seem to matter, so she had taken time away from a plan that hinged on everyone having a part to play and had driven there.

Katarina stood, an expectant sort of look plastered on her face, and Liz felt her temper start to boil. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. You had an appointment on her books today."

"How did you -?" Fulton started to ask, but one look from the redheaded former KGB agent shut her up instantly.

"Why did you is the better question," Liz snapped. "I've barely heard from you since Reddington's funeral and then you go and call Scottie Hargrave behind my back to try to stop -"

"We should speak privately," Katarina cut in. Fulton looked ready to argue, but she looked back around at her. "Unless you'd like to explain the true reason why you're so interested in my daughter. For that I think I could spare a few moments."

Fulton's jaw snapped shut and she drew a shaky breath in. "I'll give you a moment," she said tightly and Liz watched her as she left her own office.

"What the hell was that?"

"You underestimate her. I hope you haven't shared anything too important. She'll use it against you."

"What do you know that I don't?"

Katarina's smile was small, but a bit of mischief reached her blue eyes. "I know that your husband is in deeper than he should have ever gotten. You don't make enemies of St Regis lightly."

"We have it handled."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Earlier today your lead in the case escaped federal custody before Halcyon could take hold of him. I don't call that having it under control, Masha."

" _Elizabeth_ ," Liz corrected, her voice biting. "That was planned. We're luring them out."

Katarina stopped at that, her gaze focusing in just a bit more. "You're using your husband as bait?"

Liz's lips twitched downward at the corners. "He's luring them out. We have a place that he'll lead them to."

"They won't all come at him at once."

"No, but we can use one of them to leverage against the others."

"And Zanetakos is in on this?"

"No," Liz breathed, the word tense. "Tom wanted to tell her, but she's…. A blind spot for him. He wants to trust her, but we can't. He'll get her there without her knowing that we're all in on it."

There was a shift in Katarina's expression as it melted from skepticism to something more in like pride. The look almost reminded Liz of Reddington. "You thought this through."

"You don't have to sound so surprised."

"I'm not, I just…. Forget sometimes. What a formidable young woman you've become."

The words sounded genuine and Liz felt some of her anger ease, even if it didn't entirely dissipate. She risked a glance at her phone. "I have to go. They need me there."

She turned, but the sound of her name stopped her. "Elizabeth, if I can't talk you out of taking on St Regis, let me help you."

"Why?"

There was a long pause, and for a moment Liz thought she wouldn't receive an answer. Finally Katarina pulled in a breath. "Because you're my daughter, and despite what you may believe, I'm trying to protect you."

Liz let the words hang between them for a long moment, doing what she could to judge how much she actually trusted them. "You won't get in the way or try to make a play without talking to me first?"

"No."

"Fine." Liz turned back towards the door, ready to walk back out it, but she stopped when she touched the handle, turning back around to her mother. "What did you know about Fulton?"

Katarina flashed a dangerous smile. "That is an interesting story, and one I'll tell you on our way."

* * *

The plan had been put together quickly, but not without a great deal of thought into it. A car had been waiting for them, though it couldn't look like it was. Tom broke in and hotwired it, taking the driver's seat before Gina could.

"What will your wife say when she finds out you went rogue with me?"

He risked a glance to his right. "She'll get it."

"She never struck me as the understanding type."

"You don't know Liz."

"I know more than you think. I know she gut shot you when she figured out who you were and hid you away somewhere for three or four months. We thought you were dead until we got word that you'd contacted Berlin."

"I've been dead a few times," Tom answered cheekily, taking a turn down a back road and glancing up to the rearview mirror to see if the Nissan behind him turned with him. They went straight.

"And yet you keep coming back."

"What was it you said? Something about surviving a nuclear holocaust."

"I said you were about halfway between a cockroach and a twinkie," she deadpanned and Tom rolled his eyes. "Why though?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you decide to give?"

"I told you, they were taking too long."

"Don't bullshit me, Jacob. You've played it off, but you and Keen were on the same page when she dropped you off this morning. You didn't have any trouble slipping around the security -"

"They are my people," he reminded her.

"- and you've known where we are going since we started driving. Why the ruse?"

Tom pushed a breath out through his nose, forcing himself to watch the road as he took another turn.

"You don't trust me," Gina said softly, and it wasn't a question.

"Can you blame me?"

"I saved your life."

"After you had me shot and left me for dead," he snapped back, the words leaving his throat rougher than he meant for them to.

"Are you pissed I didn't shoot you myself?"

"Could have at least given me that."

"Then you would have been dead. I gave you a fighting chance."

"Now who's bullshitting?"

A tense silence settled over them and Tom took another turn.

"Jacob," she said after a long moment.

"I haven't been Jacob in a long time. The sooner you get that, the sooner we are actually able to work together." He risked a look over at her. "Right now, you could be playing either side. Maybe even both, so you'll just have to excuse me if I'm not willing to -"

He didn't have a chance to finish the thought as a vehicle slammed into theirs hard enough to send them rolling.

* * *

TBC

 **Notes** : I feel like I'm poking my head up from out of the dirt. It's been... an insane holiday, though I have to admit taking some time off did some good for both my writing portfolio and for this fic, I think. It gave me a chance to finish my spec script without getting my plots crossed here and I think gave me the perspective I needed on this. It was hard breaking back in, but once I sat down and reminded my brain that it WAS getting finished, it finally gave to the demands. I'm finally ahead in the writing again, so hopefully that means no more delays before the end? A girl can hope.

I joked with a friend that I just needed Tom and Gina to find trouble and that would be my first big step... and there we have it. They found trouble. ;)

 **Next Time** : Tom and Gina find trouble while Liz works with her team and Halcyon to rescue her husband.


	12. Weakness

**Chapter Twelve: Weakness **

It was a strip of stores and small restaurants, almost all of them empty now. Tom had used an old alias to purchase one at the end through one of his shelf companies years ago to use as a safehouse. It had sat there, waiting and empty, in case he ever needed it. Now they would use it to to lure out the organization he'd grown up in and, if all went well, to their end. Liz knew she would sleep better at night after this was all over.

Across from the seemingly abandoned restaurant was an aged apartment complex, one of the units with a perfect line of sight to set up shop in. She knocked twice on the door and heard the hollow sound echo through. A moment passed, then another, and Katarina shifted behind her.

Liz shot a warning look from the corner of her eye. "You're the one that wanted to come along."

Katarina raised her hands in mock surrender.

The door finally opened to reveal Donald Ressler standing there. His expression immediately darkened as he looked past her. "What is _she_ doing here?"

"She says she wants to help," Liz answered, moving inside. She paused next to him, her voice quiet. "I'd rather have her close so I know what she's up to."

Ressler snorted at that, but he didn't argue it. Instead he turned and motioned to where Aram and Dumont were set up. "The place is wired and set. Samar, Rowan, and Solomon have the angles covered with sniper rifles. Scottie and Howard have a tactical team on standby." There was something in his voice that left Liz with the impression that there'd been a battle of some sort there. Halcyon tactical versus SWAT. Ressler didn't seem pleased.

"Is Tom already there?"

"He hasn't shown yet."

She looked over to Dumont. "How long ago did you text him?"

"'Bout an hour ago."

That wasn't right. "He should be there by now. When did he slip the detail?"

"Just under an hour ago," Aram said, his voice tight and Liz felt the worry creeping in. She had managed to convince him not to tell Gina everything, but what if that hadn't been enough? What if she had somehow managed to double cross him anyway?

"Why aren't you tracking his phone?" Katarina asked as she crossed the space, standing directly behind Aram that looked instantly uncomfortable.

"Because he had to ditch it to make it believable to Gina," Liz huffed. "Did he turn his watch off too?"

"We lost signal about forty minutes ago," Ressler offered, "but if Zanetakos questioned it…"

"Yeah," Liz agreed, moving to the window. All was quiet outside and she couldn't help feeling like something had gone wrong. "Or she could have turned on him." Her gaze flickered over to Aram and Dumont. "Can you guys pull up the traffic cams?"

"Done and done," Dumont cut in, fingers flying over his keyboard.

Ressler loosed a breath, motioning for Liz to step away from Katarina. "Listen," he said quietly, "I need your help with your inlaws."

"Are they trying to run it?"

"They want to take whoever shows up into Halcyon custody. That can't happen."

"You and Tom have a deal. He'll stand by it."

"He will if he's in a place to stand by it. Those two-"

"Are manipulative as hell, but they're trying to help."

"Like she's trying to help?" he asked, motioning to Katarina as subtly as he could.

"Still figuring that one out," Liz answered honestly.

"Agent Keen?" Aram called, from where he was standing over Dumont's shoulder, the two men watching the screen.

She moved over, the lack of explanation not setting well with her any more than the expressions the two men wore. Something had gone wrong.

As Dumont backed the footage up, she saw exactly what that was.

Liz swallowed hard as she watched a van slam into the car that her husband had been using to get to the new safehouse, sending it rolling twice over before it landed on its side. Smoke poured from it and she watched as operatives in black swarmed the car and pried the door open, pulling an unconscious Gina out first and then, a few moments later, dragging Tom's limp body from the vehicle.

"Son of a bitch," Ressler breathed.

"Time stamp lines up with when his watch went dead," Dumont said quietly.

Liz dragged a shaky breath down her throat and into her lungs and looked to Ressler. "We have to use them, now more than ever."

"Yeah."

"We've got a clear shot of the vehicle that they loaded Tom and Ms Zanetakos into," Aram said as he returned to his own computer. "We can track them."

"Through the Artax Network too," Dumont added.

"Do it," Ressler ordered and turned back to Liz. "We're going to find him."

She nodded, a numbness threatening to take hold. She pushed it back and let anger take its place. She would be damned if she let anyone threaten to take him away again.

* * *

He had come to with his wrists zip tied and surrounded by darkness. It had taken a few moments for his rattled brain to piece together that the rough material against his face and the musty smell was a bag over his head.

Tom shifted trying to get a better feel for where he was laid out. He was moving. A vehicle then, and with another small twitch he felt Gina at his back. She didn't respond and he struggled through what had happened.

Everything had been going well up until the point Gina started to ask questions. She'd caught some small slip in his approach, but any explanation he might or might not have given to her was cut short when they had been slammed by a van. Tom remembered the feeling of tipping over, but immediately after things went fuzzy. The left side of his head ached where he could only assume he'd hit the door as they rolled.

The vehicle pulled to a stop and for a long moment there was nothing. Finally he heard the back doors open and he was being hauled out. Between the momentum and the bag over his head Tom couldn't keep his feet under him when they hit the hard surface and he felt himself pitch forward, slamming knees first. He stayed there for a long moment, struggling to regain his balance so he wouldn't topple the rest of the way to the floor if he miscalculated.

A rough, familiar chuckle sounded off above him as the bag was ripped painfully from his head. Light flooded in and Tom squeezed his eyes shut for half a second before forcing them back open to focus up on Justin Masterson. "You look pleased with yourself."

The older man's grin bordered on obnoxious as he squatted down so that he was on eye-level with the man still on his knees. "Oh, I am."

"You shouldn't be."

He couldn't have predicted it, but it was as if he'd given the cue. The operative going for Gina yelped and then went tumbling out of the van. Tom smirked as he watched that condescending smile vanish from Masterson's face, but he didn't have time to get fully to his feet before Tom got one foot under him and launched shoulder-first into Masterson. The tackle worked, throwing both men off balance and into the hard floor. Masterson had been halfway to pulling his gun and it went sliding out of both of their reach.

Tom didn't lose any time as he rolled, fingers finding the switchblade that the other man had always kept on him and he slid the knife through his restraints as Masterson struggled to pull air into his lungs. "And you think I'm predictable," Tom chuckled.

"You are."

He turned to see a face he hadn't seen in a decade. Victor Franks stood with a gun pressed to the base of Gina's skull. She remained where she was, the bag removed but her hands still bound behind her, rigid and angry. Franks' cold gaze remained on Tom. "Give Masterson the blade and stand up."

A thin laugh escaped on a breath. "I'm not an idiot, Franks. I know why you want her, and she's no good to you dead."

"I never said I was going to kill her. I just needed to see if your whirlwind romance with the federal agent dampened the loyalty you two always had."

Masterson kicked out, his foot landing hard against the back of Tom's knee to buckle it. Tom caught his balance, but the other man was already up, going for the knife. He dodged, bobbing around, but the earlier blow to the head was slowing him down and throwing his balance. Masterson saw it too, and he caught hold of the younger man's wrist, twisting it hard to force him to release. Instead, Tom slammed forward, his head connecting with Masterson's, and he could feel everything pulse in and out along with his vision as Masterson stumbled back. It was a mistake. As he felt his fingers loosen around the knife and it clattered to the floor he knew he'd made a mistake.

Somewhere through the buzz he heard Gina yell for him, but Masterson was already on his feet and going for the knife. Tom dodged back, his head starting to clear just enough from the blow to do so, but Masterson was on him in an instant, swiping out so that the blade left a long, bloody mark along his ribs. Tom reached down, fingers trembling a little as they clutched at the material on his shirt, the pain starting to catch up with the fresh wound.

A sick smile tugged at Masterson's lips as he kicked out, his boot connecting hard with Tom's middle and the blow sent him stumbling back land hard on his back against the concrete floor, still clutching at the source of the pain. Behind him Gina let out a vicious curse in Russian, and Tom managed to turn enough to see a look that he hadn't seen in years. Only she or Franks was walking away from this now. Well, at least Tom could say that she hadn't played him. Small wins.

Franks wasn't bothered. If anything, he was amused. "Not another move, Zanetakos," he warned, "or I'll bleed him out one hole at a time while you watch."

She stilled at that, though the expression didn't fade. Tom's eyes squeezed closed as Masterson loomed over him.

* * *

Scottie was ready to murder someone. Zanetakos, her employers, it really didn't matter. What mattered was that, even with the the lengths that they had gone to to ensure that Gina Zanetakos _didn't_ betray her son, Tom was missing. They had dangled him out as bait and had lost the gamble.

"We'll get him back."

She spun, ready to lay into Howard, but she swallowed the biting comment at the look he gave her. "They've wanted him dead for years. What makes you so sure?"

Her husband tried for a smile, but the expression was just as pained as Scottie felt. "Because it's you and me, and we swore we wouldn't lose him again."

"What if we have? What if our focus on finding who took him costs him his life now?"

"It won't." He crossed the office, his fingers brushing her cheek as he fit a loose bit of hair behind her ear. "We won't let it."

She grimaced, leaning in so that she could lean her forehead to touch his. "We should have been there through all of this. If we had…"

A knock drew both of their attention and Dumont stood at the door, looking a little awkward at the interrupted moment. "Got the feds set up in the conference room and Aram patches into my equipment. We're working on remotely getting Tom's watch back up and running and finding that van."

"And the others?" Howard pressed.

"Navabi's tracking down a lead with a Mossad contact and Solomon went with her. Nez and Liz are about to follow a lead that Liz's mom -"

"Katarina reached out?" Scottie demanded.

Dumont blinked, the confusion brief but certainly there. "She's here. Didn't someone tell you that?"

"It must have gotten lost with everything else," Howard said calmly. "What about Agent Ressler?"

"In the conference room with the others."

Scottie nodded and took a step back from Howard, but felt his fingers brush hers in subtle, quiet support, the promise lingering between them. They would get their son back. He would be alright. He had to be.

The conference room had just been redone as part of the headquarters relocation that Tom had put into motion when he took over Halcyon. The equipment matched the war room in their New York office and Aram Mojtabai was sitting at the long table, Agent Ressler leaned over and looking at whatever he had found. Nez and Elizabeth were speaking to Katarina, and Elizabeth didn't look pleased.

"She has a point," Nez said tightly, motioning to Katarina.

"About what?" Scottie asked, pulling three sets of eyes around to her.

Katarina shrugged. "All I said is that Halcyon has more leeway in getting people to talk than the FBI does."

"You're talking about torture," Elizabeth said firmly.

"I'm talking about enhanced interrogation. _You_ know something about it, don't you?"

Scottie watched her daughter-in-law stiffen at that and Katarina's lips tilted up at the corners. She'd won something, but what was yet to be seen.

"Tom and I have a deal," Ressler said from his place.

"And Halcyon will stand by that," Howard answered him, his voice calming. "Let's focus on getting Tom back before we squabble over who goes where."

Ressler didn't look convinced, but it didn't matter as Aram stood abruptly. "Hey, I hate to, uh, interrupt all this but…"

"What did you find?" Scottie asked, starting towards his screen.

A couple clicks later his display was mirrored to the screen that was mounted on the wall at the end of the table. It showed a display of DC, several locations marked. "Dumont and I have been running half a dozen searches through different sources. Samar called in what her Mossad contact knew about St Regis safehouses in the area and we narrowed it down to five of the most likely locations before cross referencing those with the other searches and -" the screen narrowed in on one of the markings, showing an old factory.

"Bingo," Dumont finished.

"I need proof before we raid it," Ressler murmured.

"I know, and while I couldn't find a path through the traffic cameras, we were able to reposition one of the satellites from the Artax Network and caught sight of the van parked around back."

Elizabeth pulled in a breath, her gaze fixed on the screen. "It's our best chance, Ress."

"Any chance I can talk you out of going in?"

"You know you can't.

"And I'm going with you." All eyes turned on Scottie and she tilted her head up. "That's not a request."

"You're a civilian," Ressler argued.

"I'm a trained operative. Nez, Solomon, and I will be joining your infiltration team."

"For what it's worth, she's always been good," Katarina offered and Scottie shot her a look. The shorter woman smirked.

Ressler sighed. "We don't have time to argue this. The quicker we get in there, the more likely we are to get Tom out alive."

* * *

She'd made a bad call. If she were honest, she'd made a series of bad calls, the first one going to Jacob himself. He had been the only one that Gina knew beyond a shadow of a doubt would help her - despite the fact that he'd been ready and willing to take St Regis from her himself - but in the end he was a weakness, not a strength. It was embarrassing how quickly Franks had proven that.

Gina pulled on her restraints from where she was tied to chair. It was bolted to the floor, not giving in the slightest when she shifted her weight back and forth. She was stuck, at least for the time being, and Jacob sat tied across from her.

He was pale, the bruises from the wreck starting to show in his skin, and the blood that had soaked through from the long gash Masterson's knife had left dried his shirt to him. If they had patched him up at all was impossible to tell.

There was a reason they had left him beaten and bloodied in front of her. They knew they couldn't break her by coming after her directly and it was no secret that she held very little close. Part of her wondered if they knew that she'd been the one to pull the trigger on McCready. She'd let them all believe it was Jacob, because he was gone and it hadn't mattered in the end. She had never confirmed it or denied it, but she let them believe it. Maybe they'd only let her believe that they believed it.

A soft sound from him drew her attention and she found his jaw clenched, Jacob trying to shift into a more comfortable position. He wasn't likely to find one. "You know you can't tell them."

"I know."

"No matter what."

Gina snorted. "You think I'd give up everything for you?"

Those dark blue eyes flickered up to meet her own brown ones and he didn't have to answer out loud. She saw it there, clear as if he'd spoken the words. He knew she would. They knew she would. Now she just had to prove them wrong, or they'd both be dead.

The door behind her opened, the metal scraping against the floor and the hinges screaming. She couldn't help but wince just a little, even as Jacob raised his head and set his jaw, that defiant look in his eyes.

Franks circled around, an old toolkit that Gina recognized from her days in his class in his hand. "You need new toys."

"The old ones work just fine," he assured her and started towards Jacob.

* * *

TBC

 **Notes** : They definitely found trouble, no question about it.

I'm so out of practice right now. I came so close to forgetting to post this. Here it is though!

 **Next Time** :Liz and the others go in to rescue Tom and Gina makes a dangerous decision.


	13. Bargaining

**Chapter Thirteen: Bargaining**

Justin Masterson stood watching the screens that showed several angles of the room they were holding Phelps and Zanetakos in. Their blonde, would-be leader looked ready to rip Franks' face off, but the restraints kept her firmly in place. Phelps was leaned forward, his breathing shaky and he was beaten into temporary submission. Franks was having fun, but he hadn't done any lasting damage yet. Some deep bruising, probably a few cracked ribs, and a couple of broken fingers. Blood soaked through Phelps' shirt from where Franks had managed to undo the quick patch up job on the deep gash Masterson had left in his former rival. Phelps was a tough bastard. It wouldn't kill him, but it had to hurt like hell.

"Any change?" Michel Geffroy asked as he came to stand next to him.

"She'll give soon enough. Those two always had a thing for each other."

"She sold him out to McCready."

"There's no proof she didn't kill McCready in the end," Masterson pointed out. "Phelps was always… emotionally compromised when it came to the Major. Zanetakos was always emotionally compromised when it came to Phelps." The older man snorted and Masterson rolled his eyes. "You were always soft on Phelps."

"I wasn't soft on the kid. I gave him hell and he still landed the top scores I've ever given in my class. He's good."

"He's dead. This time we'll make sure of it."

"Not before we get what we need from Zanetakos."

"You questioning Franks' methods?"

"I'm questioning you," Geffroy said pointedly. "You let your emotions get the better of you when you fought with him."

"Like you said, he's good. If I have a chance to put him at a disadvantage I will. Playing fair doesn't get us anywhere."

Footsteps drew his attention around and a trainee was making a beeline to Geffroy. She stopped next to him, speaking directly into his ear so that Masterson couldn't hear. He kept his expression purposefully even. They wanted to treat him like less than after he'd been a key factor in all of this, fine. Their time would come soon enough.

"Thank you," Geffroy said and dismissed her. He turned his gaze back to the screen. "The feds are outside. Tell Franks we're moving."

"What about you?"

"Do you job, Masterson."

Geffroy turned on his heel and Masterson stood there for a long moment, lips twitched down and irritation building. "Bastard," he breathed before turning towards the interrogation room. They had to move quickly.

* * *

She was nervous. She didn't broadcast it, but Scottie could see it in the way that Elizabeth checked her gun for the third time and her comm for the fifth since they had been told to hang back. They had surrounded the building fifteen minutes prior and then nothing. What the hold up was hadn't made it to them yet and if Scottie risked reaching out to her people to find out she could miss the greenlight.

"He'll be alright," she said instead, the encouragement spoken with all the conviction that Howard had delivered it to her with.

It drew her daughter-in-law's attention. "He wasn't supposed to go back into the field. I never should have -"

"You married a stubborn one. I'm afraid that he didn't have any choice with Howard and me."

Elizabeth managed the barest of smiles. "I can't lose him again."

"Neither can I," Scottie confessed. "I've lost him… so many times now. Too many times. I refuse to lose him again, and I imagine that between the two of us, we may be more stubborn than even he is."

The smile turned a little more real and her comm buzzed in Scottie's ear. " _Are you ready?_ " Donald Ressler's voice sounded from the other end.

"Just been waiting on you," Elizabeth answered and Scottie heard the ginger agent snort from the other side.

" _Let's go get your husband._ "

There were three main points of entry on the ground level. Navabi and Ressler were taking one, Solomon and Nez another, which left Scottie and Elizabeth with the third. They were all accompanied by SWAT, though Halcyon operatives covered the area to make sure no one slipped out of the the second story windows or somehow managed to get around the three teams breaching the perimeter. Mojtabai, Dumont, and Howard were watching from the Network for any backup that might be incoming.

A small explosive took the front door down and Elizabeth took off first to lead in, Scottie right behind her, and they were immediately met with opposition. Scottie flattened herself against a wall and she saw Elizabeth do the same. They knew they were coming, meaning that the people firing at them now were there to buy them time. Their window to get to Tom was closing fast.

* * *

The door burst open without warning behind Gina and Franks looked up like he was ready to turn his painful attention on whoever had interrupted him. Gina didn't have to turn to know Masterson's voice. "We have a problem."

"And it can't wait?" Franks growled.

"Not if you don't want to get arrested. Feds just breached the front door. Geffroy is already on his way out."

Franks cursed, looking back at Jacob who was leaned forward in his chair, still dazed by the last blow. "Get him up. We'll transport them both back to the school."

"No," Gina snapped.

"You fight me on it and I'll kill him and find another way to make you talk," Franks swore.

"That's not what I mean. Why don't I make this easy for you? He-" she nodded towards the nearly unconscious man - "will only slow you down. Leave him - _alive_ \- and take me. I'll give you the code when we're gone."

" _Gina_ ," Jacob managed from his place. "Don't."

"Why the hell would we trust you?" Masterson demanded.

Gina refused to look over at the bound and beaten man across from her. "Same reason he just said: Franks can find another way if I'm lying." She turned her dark gaze back on the interrogator. "You know I'm not wrong. You try to drag him along, you won't make it."

The indecision was brief and half a beat later he motioned. "Get her up. Get her out."

"You can't be serious," Masterson snapped and Franks shot him a dangerous look, wrapping his tools up.

"Do it. I'll meet you at the exit point." The order was given and Franks started for the door, leaving a gaping Masterson behind. He turned his green gaze towards Gina's former lover and she could see where his train of thought was going, even as Jacob straightened as best as he could in the chair.

"You do it, and I'll never give you a damn thing. Franks and the others will blame you. Wonder how long you'll last."

Masterson's gaze snapped back to her. "You killed the Major for him, didn't you?"

She flashed a dark smile. "I'll kill you too. Just wait. It'll be fun."

He pushed a sharp breath out through his nose and reached down, slipping the same knife he'd caught Jacob with through the zip ties at her wrists. "You want to give him a fighting chance, you don't fight me. Clear?"

"Clear."

Gina risked one more glance back at Jacob who looked ready to murder Masterson. She understood the impulse, but as it stood, even if she were to fight him here and now, there was no guarantee that they'd get out. The sooner Franks and whoever else was with him cleared the building the sooner the feds got in, and the sooner they found Jacob they could help him. Damn the man. She should have gone _anywhere_ else.

Masterson hauled her up and Jacob fought against the restraints. "Masterson! Masterson, dammit," he shouted, his voice raspy and raw and his expression bordering on desperate. She could hear him continue to shout as Masterson dragged her out and down the hall, the battle raging behind them.

"They're in. You'll never get us out."

"You've known me long enough to know I'm a survivor, Zanetakos." He pulled her down the hallway and into a room without a clear exit. He seemed to know where he was going as he moved immediately to the middle of the room and kicked an old, dusty carpet out of the way, revealing a trapdoor. He pulled it open and finally released her, motioning to a ladder leading down. "Ladies first."

* * *

She heard him, even if no one else had. Liz knew she'd heard him and she pushed her way through despite the protests around her. Their attackers were thinning out, meaning that the people in charge were already gone or close enough that their underlings felt comfortable enough to flee themselves.

Liz rounded a corner and nearly straight into a St Regis operative on her way out. She was young and for the briefest moment she was terrified. It was one thing for Liz to say she understood what Tom meant when he said he was worried about the kids affected by St Regis shutting down, but looking one of those kids in the face was entirely different. She couldn't have been more than eighteen.

The gun came up and Liz reacted, catching hold of the girl's wrist and pushing up so that the bullet buried itself in the ceiling. She slammed her back against the wall hard once and then again until she released the weapon and Liz found a pair of wide, grey eyes latched onto her, narrowing.. "I won't go back, so you better just shoot me."

She didn't mean St Regis. Whatever situation Gina had plucked this kid from, she thought it was worse than death.

Liz kicked the gun and released her. "Go."

The girl blinked. "What?"

"Go."

She didn't have to be told a third time. The girl turned and Liz reached back for her, though she didn't hold on. "Wait. Tom…. Jacob Phelps. Where is he? Where are they holding him?"

"You're her, huh?"

"Only reason you're getting away," Liz reminded her softly.

The girl seemed to clue in on that and nodded. "Down the hall on your left unless they already moved them." Then she was gone, not daring to wait to see if Liz changed her mind.

Liz didn't wait either. She shot down the hall and turned at the open door to a scene that stopped her in her tracks. Tom sat ziptied to a chair, beaten and bloodied, and as far as she could tell unconscious. The last was disproved quickly enough as he looked up, his gaze taking a second to focus on her, and he loosed a breath. "Lizzie."

She swallowed hard as she crossed the space between them, dropping to a knee in front of him and taking in the damage, her fingers traveling along the cuts across his face and the bruising that was already starting to form peeking out from under his shirt. She winced at two fingers on his right hand that looked to broken and finally forced herself to look at where his shirt was covered in blood. "Babe," she breathed.

"I'm okay. I'll be okay," he promised, his voice rough. "Get me out of these?"

"Yeah." She reached into her vest to pull out a knife and he winced as she cut him loose, revealing the marks the makeshift cuffs left on his skin. She looked up at him, one hand moving carefully to his face. "I thought I'd lost you again."

He leaned forward, his forehead touching hers. "Never," he swore.

Liz nodded, accepting the promise. "C'mon, we need to get you out of here."

Tom didn't look thrilled at the idea of standing, but he set his jaw and shifted his weight. Liz moved to help take some of it on, his arm around her shoulders, but without warning his knee buckled with him and it was everything she could do not to go down with him. She eased him to the ground as best she could and and felt the fear spike as she saw his good hand grasping at where the blood was soaking his shirt. It was his, despite his protests of being okay, she knew it had to be.

"Liz we have… shit."

Liz looked up to see Nez standing at the doorway. "Get medical in here _now_."

* * *

The steady beeping was the first sound that broke through unconsciousness and dragged him back. Dark blue eyes blinked open and he instantly regretted it. Everything hurt, even through the obvious dulling of the pain medication that would be dripping down through the… yep. There was the IV to his left.

"I seem to remember something about staying out of the field being part of the deal you struck to take over the CEO position at Halcyon," a voice said firmly and Tom forced himself to turn, wincing as he did, and he found a face that had become familiar in the last couple of years. Dr Meredith Gramble had helped to save his life when Howard had had him whisked out of the ER after Garvey's attack two years before and she'd given him hell ever since.

"Desperate times," Tom answered and looked down to try to take stock of the injuries.

"Concussion, cracked ribs, fractured wrist, broken fingers, and, oh, were you aware someone tried to put yet another hole in you?"

"More like a gash," he answered with an attempt at a smile.

"Still had to stitch you back together."

"I really need to stop that."

"You really do." She heaved a sigh. "There were no internal injuries, and while I count that as a win after your last knife fight, that doesn't mean you're not chained to that bed until I say otherwise. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," Tom answered with a hint of a smile.

She didn't look convinced, but she did turn to leave. Tom waited until he heard her footsteps down the hall before he reached to the IV and tugged it from its place. That was the first thing that needed to go if he had any hopes of helping Gina. The second was going to be more painful, but just as necessary. He pulled a steadying breath in and risked moving his elbows under him, pushing himself up onto them.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting up," he answered his wife.

"Like hell you are."

He grimaced, but pushed himself into a sitting position. "Don't," he breathed through gritted teeth as Liz moved to his side to push him back down.

"Tom, you need to rest. You just got your ass kicked."

"Thanks for that," he chuckled.

"You can be insulted all you want, it doesn't change anything."

"I know," he managed, forcing himself to look over at her. "You tell me you got Gina too and I'll lay down right now."

He had known the answer before he said it, but the look on Liz's face confirmed it. "Tom, I am not willing to lose you for that woman."

"I know you don't want me to risk anything for her, babe, but she just risked everything for me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they beat the hell out of me to get her to talk, and when you guys got there they planned to take me with them. Gina promised them the code in exchange for leaving me there."

There was a long moment of silence and Liz sank down to the edge of the bed. "If she does that they're going to kill her, aren't they?"

Tom grimaced, shifting a little. There wasn't a comfortable position to be had. "She bought some time, but yeah. They're gonna kill her."

There was a pain in Liz's eyes that he hated, and she leaned towards him and pressed her lips against his. He sank into it until he felt her push him gently down against the pillows, not breaking the kiss until he was laid back against them. She stayed where she was, though, leaned over him and those deep blue eyes of hers locked onto him. "What else?" she asked softly, the words not quite an accusation, but there was no question she knew he hadn't shared everything.

Tom reached up, fingers brushing her cheek. "She's… not going to be able to give them what they want."

* * *

TBC

 **Notes** : Sorry this is late being posted today. I typically post over breakfast and just blanked this morning. Better late than not at all though, right?

 **Next Time** : Gina makes things complicated for her captors, Ressler is forced to decide which lines he's willing to cross, and the team gets ready for the fight of their life.


	14. Stubborn

**Chapter Fourteen: Stubborn **

Gina Zanetakos was not a sentimental woman. She had never been fool enough to think that St Regis provided her with the home that she had never had or a family that would support her against all odds. Loyalties changed at a whim. Jacob leaving had been a sharp reminder of that, and her own last second decision to put McCready in the ground to save her traitorous former lover had only proven it all the more. A power struggle had become inevitable within the organization, especially when things hadn't run as smoothly as she would have liked. As any of them would have liked. She had dug in though. She was a talented operative and a stubborn woman. She had had every intention of coming out on top.

That was over now. They were going to take that away from her. Or take her away from it, rather. She'd be damned if she let them have St Regis after all of this, even if it killed her.

Masterson tightened his hold on her as he guided her through the halls. She had felt the students' quick glances as they passed through the campus. She had been their teacher, and for many of them, she'd been to them what the Major had been to her. They hadn't known McCready, only Gina, and she'd brought them out of whatever life had tried to drown them in and given them a chance. Despite what Jacob said, she'd given them more of a chance than they ever would have had without her.

"This could have been easier," Masterson murmured in her ear. "If you'd given everything over they'd have let you live."

"Sure," Gina snorted as they paused and he knocked against the thick, wooden door leading to what had been McCready's office before it had been hers. She risked a glance back out of the corner of her eye. "I see you're still on the outside."

"Closer in than you."

"For now."

The door opened and he all but shoved her inside. She didn't let herself stumble though, and she found Geffroy and Tallert waiting. Franks was nowhere to be seen, which must have meant that Jacob's people had taken him. Well, at least there was that.

"Good to see you, Gina," Tallert said.

"Is it really?" She almost believed his lie. If Geffroy had been fond of Jacob, Tallert had liked Gina. She had been his top student and, as far as she was aware, she still held the highest score he'd given out. That didn't mean he wouldn't break her neck if it came down to it.

"Don't be bitter. You brought this on yourself," Geffroy grumbled and moved across the office to a table across the room that Gina knew well enough. He slid a panel out from the middle and pulled a keyboard from it, a loud click signalling the rest of the computer coming out of hiding as the top of the table popped open and Geffroy pulled the monitor up. He motioned to it.

"What, you don't want to wait for Franks?" she asked cheekily.

Masterson gave her another rough shove in the direction of the formerly-hidden computer system. Gina pushed a long breath out through her nose as she approached it, fingers nimble across the key as she dialed in a code. She could feel three sets of eyes latched onto her from behind, greedily waiting for the information that they thought would give them access to all that McCready had built. She reached over, the request for the thumbprint flickering across the screen, and she pressed her thumb against it.

It read the grooves on her skin and beeped once, twice, and then flashed green before cycling back around.

"What the hell is that?" Masterson growled.

Gina couldn't resist the small smirk that tilted her lips even as he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her backwards.

Tallert approached, his cool gaze taking it in. "You never had access to it," he breathed. "That's why…"

"McCready always wanted Jacob and me to take over together," Gina answered with a shrug.

Anger flashed briefly through Geffroy's eyes. "And he never took Phelps from the system."

Gina's lips quirked just a little more. She'd played them and they knew it. "He always had a soft spot for him." Her dark eyes fell on each man and she squared her shoulders as the computer timed out, relocking behind her. "Looks like you gave up half your chance to get to what you need."

* * *

He didn't like the situation. Halcyon hadn't fought him on most of the arrests made, but Ressler had known that luck wouldn't hold. The moment Victor Franks was identified as one of their captures from the raid Scottie Hargrave had stepped in and pushed for Franks to be held at the Halcyon site.

Ressler had finally convinced her that the offices within DC was the only consensus he would make, and only if his people led the interrogation. She hadn't been thrilled at the idea, but Liz's reminder of the deal Tom had made with the Task Force held more weight with Scottie than Ressler's. Now, just a few hours later, he found himself staring through a one-way window at a man that hadn't budged for him and was even showing the same indifference to Samar.

"You're not going to break him."

Ressler turned, the familiar voice from behind startling him. Tom Keen looked exhausted where he stood, his gaze focused on the man beyond the glass that he'd likely learned a thing or two from over the years. Ressler took the moment of distraction to glance him up and down, from the bruises lining his face to the splint on his right wrist. His dominant fingers on the same hand were bound together. He stood stiffly, like he was still in a lot of pain, but pushing past it.

"Liz know you're up?" Ressler asked at last.

"Yeah."

"How'd you swing that?"

"A little honesty goes a long way." Ressler snorted a laugh and Tom offered a lopsided smile. "We're on the same page. Just need to get everyone else there."

That sounded like another curve ball was coming their way. Great.

Ressler motioned to the stoic man Samar was after. "What do you know about him?"

"Victor Franks was over interrogation training while I was at St Regis. He went into semi retirement a few years ago, but he always wanted a chance at running the organization." Tom's lips rugged down. "He didn't just teach interrogation, but how to stand up under it."

"Like you did with Meera," Ressler said softly, the memory tugging hard at him.

Tom made a small sound of acknowledgement. "Meera and others over the years. Meera was good - better than I expected going in - but she was a walk in the park next to some of the interrogations I've been put through over the years. Franks taught us how to keep it together long enough to convince the interrogator we were telling the truth or would die before giving anything up."

Looking at the effects of his latest round with the man, Ressler wasn't sure he wanted to know what kind of training he'd gone under as he learned from Franks. The agent squared his shoulders and turned to look through the window. "I can't condone Samar beating the hell out of him for answers."

A rough chuckle left the dark haired man. "I'm sure she's got plenty of training beyond what the FBI is comfortable with, but she's got the same problem as we'd have if I sent Solomon in there or if I went in myself: it's the same type of training Franks taught. He'd die before cracking. We need a different approach."

"And what is that?" Ressler asked carefully.

The door behind them opened and Katarina Rostova stride in like she owned the place. Ressler stared as she offered him a wink and he turned back to Liz's husband. "You've got to be kidding me."

"She has a completely different training background than any of us. It's a different angle and the best chance we've got. If we're going to get inside St Regis, we need Franks' help to do that."

Ressler pulled in a steadying breath. If he gave her the room, he was signing off on whatever Rostova chose to do with Franks, and he still wasn't sold on if they could trust her or not.

"You could always let my daughter take a crack at him. I hear she's proven herself to be very talented at getting information when she wants it," Katarina said, a pointed look in her son-in-law's direction.

Tom gave a weak chuckle at that, running his hand along the back of his neck in a nervous motion Ressler had seen on rare occasion. "Yeah, well, Franks won't have the same motivations I did." He turned back to Ressler. "He's in Halcyon custody. If something goes sideways we'll handle it."

There was a long moment of silence between them before Ressler finally gave, offering the barest of nods. Katarina didn't wait for anything more as she ducked into the room and Ressler turned back to Tom. "How does she knows about the boat?"

Tom groaned, shaking his head. Ressler couldn't say he envied the man his luck in in-laws.

* * *

She stepped into the room, the Mossad agent instantly looking over at her, but it wasn't a set of dark eyes that hers met. Her own blue locked gazes with cool hazel of the man cuffed to the table. There was something under the mask, a small flicker of recognition, and Katarina felt the barest of smiles threaten. Masha and her husband had made the right call bringing her in.

Navabi saw the glimmer of change too and she stood. Katarina felt her gaze linger as she passed by wordlessly, the warning clear. She'd play along, but the moment one of her people told her Katarina didn't belong in there she'd be back. It had been a long time since the former KGB agent had gone toe to toe with a Mossad agent. That could be fun, but for now she had a job to do.

The amusement faded and Katarina took the seat across from Franks. "Do you know who I am?"

"A legend in your own right," Franks answered evenly.

He hadn't been expecting her. Good.

Franks sat back as best he could in his seat, his posture relaxing even if Katarina knew that was the furthest he could be from the truth. "It makes more sense now."

"What's that?"

"Phelps. The girl's not just some FBI bitch. She's Katarina Rostova's daughter."

It was meant to rile her, but instead Katarina simply stood and circled around behind him, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder before drifting to the back of his neck. He didn't tense, but she didn't expect him to, even as she leaned down directly in his ear. "You're alone here, Vic. They're not coming for you because my daughter and her husband have done the dirty work for them. They have Zanetakos and they have St Regis. You are alone, unless you make yourself useful."

She felt the barest change in the muscles under her hand. "And exactly how would you suggest I do that?"

* * *

"You know your mother won't take no for an answer on this, don't you?"

Tom loosed a breath, his gaze directed at nothing in particular as he stood at the window in his office. "Yeah," he answered softly as Howard came to stand next to him. "Liz won't back down from it either." He glanced at the man to his left. "You're not here to tell me you want to try your hand in the field are you, because I seem to remember having to drag you out of the line of fire a few years ago."

Howard chuckled and Tom felt a real albeit tired smile tug into place.

"No, though you'd put an old man's mind at ease by holding back yourself."

That pulled Tom's attention over and he blinked in surprise. "You know I can't do that."

"I know," Howard said softly, "but you and I know the odds, Tom. Going in there injured you're up against even tougher ones."

"I've been through worse."

"That doesn't mean you're fit to take on an organization designed to train killers."

"That's exactly why they need me. If I sat it out, maybe Scottie would, but Liz would still be there. This is my fight."

Howard's gaze flickered up and down and lingered on Tom's battered right hand. "Can you even fire a gun right now?

Tom smirked and reached over, cuffing his father on the shoulder playfully. "You think a trained killer needs his dominant hand to shoot with?"

That didn't pull a smile from his father. If anything, Howard grew a little more serious. "You're better than them, son. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

The younger man's expression softened at that. "Because I had the chance to be. That's what I want to give the kids in the program now. _That_ 's why this couldn't wait. That's why it still can't."

"And it has nothing to do with saving Gina Zanetakos?"

"She gave herself up for me. If I don't, exactly how am I better than anyone else put through St Regis?"

"He's stubborn like that."

Both men turned to see Liz leaning against the doorframe and she offered a strained smile. "Someone wanted to say goodbye before heading out."

Agnes peeked around her mother's leg and Tom felt the same warmth that always managed to work its way in when his daughter was nearby take hold. He took a careful knee. "Hey, kiddo. Can I get a hug before you leave with Grandpa?"

The little girl took the invitation and launched herself across the room with enough force to nearly knock Tom off his balance. He managed to stay upright, though, and wrapped an arm around her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. He felt that thick, dark hair tickle his nose and she tightened her hold. "I don't want you and Mama to go," she said, her voice hitching halfway through.

"We'll be back before you know it," Tom promised. "You'll take care of your grandpa, right?"

"And Uncle 'Ram and Mont."

Tom snorted a laugh. "Yep. You have to make sure all of them are safe. You got this, right?"

"Right," she answered with a firm nod and Tom leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, and I'll see you as soon as this is done," he promised.

She watched him, those clever dark eyes fixed on him for a long moment before she turned abruptly and took Howard's hand with her own smaller one, like she was the one leading him to safety. Tom forced the raging emotions behind the mask of calm as his father offered him a small smile. "Be careful, son," he offered before the little girl pulled him out of the room, leaving Tom and Liz alone for the brief moment they had.

He stood, the motion slower than he would liked, but Liz didn't rush to help. She watched, taking it in, and seemed satisfied with his balance. She didn't want him going any more than Howard, but they'd had that conversation, and maybe, just maybe, he'd convinced those that needed to be convinced that he wasn't backing down from this.

"Hey," she murmured, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Hey."

Liz reached up, her touch light against his scruffy cheek and he leaned into it. "My mother cracked Franks."

Tom made a small sound of acknowledgement and he reached to take her hand, pressing a quick kiss to it. "We knew she was the only one who stood a chance. Everybody ready?"

"As we can be." She gave him a small, strained smile and pulled him down to kiss him. Tom melted into it, wishing they could stay like that.

"Thank you," she murmured as they finally broke.

"For what?"

"Not fighting me on going."

He quirked an eyebrow at that, his tone teasing. "Like you tried to do with me?" Her glare lacked its usual edge and he kissed her again. "Fighting you when you've made up your mind is dangerous. One suicide mission at a time, huh?"

That got him a light smack to the arm. "I'm trying here."

"I know." He brushed his thumb against her cheekbone. "We'll take them out together."

The woman he loved nodded and leaned into a careful hug. Tom wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer. It wasn't just his past they were fighting. They were fighting for their future, and that took both of them. Together they had to win.

* * *

 **TBC**

 **Notes** : Of course Tom's not sitting this out. Why would he, ya know, go home and rest or anything? :P

The next couple chapters are going to be a wild ride before the finish. Chapter after next actually got a lot more violent than I anticipated... oops O.o

If you'd like some fluff, though, I updated Truth in the Lies yesterday with a prompt that was sent in: Liz's pregnancy cravings. Hint: Agnes' taste in food is more aligned with her daddy's than her mom's.

 **Next Time** : The two teams work to find a way into St Regis' compound only to find it's no safer outside than it is inside.


	15. Angles

**Chapter Fifteen: Angles**

He could still remember the call that had come through to tell him that they had Raymond Reddington in custody. As the lead agent on the case, he had thought that meant that they were _finally_ in the home stretch. Donald Ressler couldn't have known what was coming. The changes and the decisions that would be thrust upon him. He had bent his morals to the point of breaking and done things that he would have made him sick just a few short years ago. This task force had changed him. He had risked and he had sacrificed, and there were many nights he had tossed and turned, unable to sleep with the question hanging over his head on if it were worth it.

Tom might not be Reddington, but Ressler was still bending what he knew was right for the goal ahead and he hated it. He knew he should have expected it. Halcyon prided themselves on being able to do what they claimed the government agencies wouldn't or couldn't, and maybe they did, but letting Katarina Rostova in to interrogate Franks left him with a sour taste in his mouth. He wondered what he would have to give on once they were inside the compound and after they got back out.

"You about ready?"

Ressler turned, Liz's voice drawing his attention. Her expression immediately sobered and he wondered if he looked as torn as he felt.

"You okay?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah. I have SWAT on standby, but…" He pulled a steadying breath in and met her eyes. "I know everyone has a slightly different angle on this."

"Ress, you _know_ you can trust Tom."

Ressler snorted. "Trust is a stretch, but it's not him I'm worried about. I know what he wants out of this." He caught her gaze and held it. "I know what we want, what the Hargraves want, but the only person that we don't know what she's after is your mom."

Liz's lips tugged downward at that and her gaze shifted past him to the empty room for just a moment. "She's helped us."

"Reddington used to help us too, but he always got something for it. What's Katarina getting?"

There was a long moment of silence and Liz shook her head. "I wish I knew, but she hasn't shared. She won't, and right now we don't have time to question it. We need her on this."

"Then look me in the eye and tell me you trust her."

Liz met his eyes. "I trust her not to hurt the people I care about."

Ressler sighed. "It's like dealing with Reddington all over again."

That pulled a smile from her and Liz reached forward and touched his arm. "Good thing that the Task Force's deal isn't with my mother then."

* * *

Everything had started to stiffen up on the short plane ride to upstate New York and it was everything Tom could do to find a way to loosen his abused muscles without finding new ways to hurt through other injuries. Gramble had forced a low dosage pain killer on him. It wasn't the first time he had used it to jump back into the field early after an injury, and it was the only one that he'd found didn't leave him in a dangerous fog that could get him and those around him killed. The last time he'd used it, ironically enough, had been when Gina had had him shot and he had sought her out to offer peace.

Now he was chasing her down to save her life. He would get St Regis' files, be able to help the kids still in the program, and the Task Force would get dangerous killers, but as he stood ready to infiltrate the school that had trained him to do what he was so damn good at, he had to admit to himself that saving Gina was a goal he wouldn't give on. They'd watched each other's backs for years. It was time for him to pull her out of the fire one last time.

A hand curled into his from where Liz was seated next to him in the back of the van that would get the team close enough to get in. The plan was in place. Best case scenario meant that Howard, Aram, and Dumont would be inside of St Regis' systems by the time that they arrived, using Franks' access code to gain control. The more likely scenario had them all splitting ways as soon as they got close enough. Tom and Samar would slip in through an old, hidden entrance that Tom knew so that they could boost the signal and open up access to the security systems. Once they had that, the others would enter in pairs at three different locations around the compound: Nez and Solomon, Scottie and Katarina, and Liz and Ressler. All in, they had digital copies of the layout that Tom and Gina had gotten them early on in this mess and they would move through until they reconvened at the offices where Franks had confirmed that Bud's access point remained.

"What are you thinking?" Liz asked quietly.

Tom loosed a breath and brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "That this may be the only group of people capable of pulling this off."

"If you have any doubts about it, now's the time to pull out."

"We're past that," he murmured softly. "We've been past that."

There was a long moment and Liz leaned in, her shoulder against his and he felt the touch calm his nerves. "Do you think they ever would have left us alone? If you hadn't -"

"Picked a fight with them?"

"You said it, not me," his wife chuckled and Tom turned to press a kiss to her dark hair.

"The threat would have always been there."

They both looked to where Katarina Rostova had been sitting quietly and there was something unsettling in her blue eyes. Liz straightened next to him. "What do you mean?"

Katarina's lips turned downward and her gaze flickered to Tom. "They found an operative that made them more money in his tenure there than any other had. That's not something they let go of and certainly not someone they just let walk away. They would have found a way to make you pay, even if not directly."

Tom watched his mother-in-law for a long moment, letting the words sink in. She was right. Even if they weren't right in front of them, the threat would always be there hanging over his head and his family's. The exposure that came from being Halcyon's CEO was a double edged sword that both protected him and put him back on the map of old enemies. It wasn't anything that he hadn't thought of before, but it felt heavier coming from her. More deadly somehow.

"I guess we better finish this then," Liz said firmly at his side and he felt the van pull to a stop.

* * *

Howard felt a tug at his sweater, breaking his concentration from where he had been working through every path he could find to get into St Regis' systems. He turned, finding a pair of blue eyes so like his son's on him and his little granddaughter hadn't let go of the material yet. "I wanna help."

It took half a beat longer than it should have for Howard to pull himself out of his focus and process the words.

"Not right now, Princess."

"Mr Hargrave? They're in," Mojtabai called out and Howard grunted.

"And we're not. How close?"

The FBI's technician pulled his headset fully off. "The signal's not strong enough."

They had wondered if that would be the case. "Dumont, let Tom know we're going to plan B."

Agnes tugged again, her nose crunched up and determined pout in full swing. "I wanna help Mama and Daddy."

Howard felt some of his resolve slip. "It might be scary," he warned her softly.

"I'm brave."

"Yes you are,"

He agreed as he picked her up and set her on his lap. "Don't tell your dad when he gets home."

She made a motion like she was zipping her lips and settled in. Howard reached for the headset and heard his son's voice as he fit it in place.

" _We're on our way in._ "

Howard pulled in a breath and tightened his hold on his granddaughter. He hoped this was worth the risk they were taking.

* * *

They didn't meet any opposition down the long tunnel that Tom hadn't set foot in since his teenage years, and as he and Samar drew closer to their entrance into the compound he made a mental note to thank her when this was all over for being the one person not to question his ability to get this particular job done. His wife's teammate had given him a quick look up and down when they'd decided she would accompany him in to help boost the signal for Howard and the others and simply accepted it. It had been a relief, and one he hadn't expected. If he said he was good for it, he was good for it.

He heard an amused snort of laughter from her as they neared the grate that would lead them up into the old locker rooms that had been turned into storage a decade before and Tom looked back. Samar motioned at the old, rickety looking stool leaned against the tunnel wall. "I'm just picturing a teenage Tom Keen slipping out of school. You were prepared."

"I wasn't the only one that used it," he said and scooted the old stool into place so that he could reach grate and move it from its place. He pulled in a deep breath. This was going to hurt.

Tom pulled himself up, the strain on his ribs and the jagged gash that Masterson had left in him forcing him to clench his jaw so that no more than a grunt of pain escaped him. He dragged himself onto the floor and laid there a moment, catching his breath as Samar followed much more quickly behind him. She shot him a look and he rolled, getting to his knees and then to his feet. He would have time to rest later.

Samar lifted a hand to the comm in her ear. "Aram, can you read me?"

" _You're back_!" came the excitable voice from the other end. " _Are you inside_?"

"Yeah," Tom answered quietly, one arm wrapped around the protective vest he was wearing and he forced his voice to remain steady. "We'll let you know as soon as we've got the boost in place."

" _We'll know, son_ ," Howard's voice filtered over. " _Be careful_."

" _Both of you_ ," Aram pressed.

Tom saw a small, fond smile tug at Samar's lips. "We will," she assured him and the voices went quiet over the comm. The connection was there and solid enough for them to reach the outside world should things go badly.

The old lockers were filled with equipment, but nothing there would be useful. Tom motioned to the door and they slipped out into a hallway he knew well. They were a building over from where they needed to be, but it wouldn't be until they had to cross over that they would likely run into trouble.

Neither agent or operative said a word as Samar followed his lead silently and quickly through the empty halls. They reached the door and Tom risked a look through a window to the side. Samar flattened herself, gun ready, on the other side of the door, her eyes on him and waiting for the signal.

"The next building over houses the security systems," he said quietly.

"My guess is that the security'll be a bit heavier than a storage unit."

"You got it. Ready?"

She gave him a curt nod and they moved together across the empty, open space, but not to the door with the security camera hidden away and aimed right at it. Instead they eased around, quickly and quietly, to a window along the southern side without any direct surveillance on it. Samar pulled a small device that Dumont had provided them with and stuck it to the glass, taking a step back as it buzzed and the window cracked before shattering, the glass raining down on the grass outside and the room inside.

They slipped in one at a time, both ready for whatever was on the other side of the window.

Tom had never spent a lot of time in this building. The rows and rows of servers weren't his forte, and now that he looked at them he was glad that they had the others in their ears to walk them through what needed to happen.

"Okay, we're in," Samar whispered into the comm.

Dumont was the one to answer this time. " _Awesome. Tom-Tom, you got the map?_ "

Samar shot him a questioning look and Tom grinned, holding up a round, metal ball the size of a tennis ball. He rolled it out into the middle and it stopped itself, a sensor popping out the top and sweeping the room.

Tom turned to Samar. "It'll give them an up-to-date map of the room."

She didn't seem to hear him, though, and before Tom could turn to follow her gaze that had snapped to something behind him she was leveling her gloc, the shot going off. A St Regis guard hit hard, but others would be right behind him.

" _What was that?_ " Aram demanded in their ears.

"Trouble," Tom answered and leveled his own weapon as another came around the corner.

" _Hold 'em off. I don't have a full rendering,_ " Dumont said urgently.

"Easy for you to say on that end of it," Tom growled, another shot going off as he and Samar jumped in opposite directions, taking cover amongst the towers.

" _Okay… almost…. Gotcha. You're on the wrong end_."

"Of course we are," Samar grumbled, popping up over her cover to take another shot.

"Just get us there, Dumont. Aram, you ready to walk Samar through it?"

" _Yeah… yeah, I can walk her through it._ "

Tom looked over, a silent promise to cover her and Samar leapt to her feet, Dumont's instructions filtering over the comm.

* * *

Gina looked over to where Geffroy had been distracted by something on the tablet on her desk. There was something in the movement that struck her, but it was difficult to tell with a man like him. He turned a hard look on her. "Your play backfired."

"How so?" Gina asked lightly, but the unease that had been creeping up taking a firmer hold on her as he turned the tablet around and she saw Jacob and one of his wife's agents. Her expression hardened immediately.

"I would have thought Phelps would have been smarter than to deliver himself to our doorstep," Tallert murmured.

"Idiot probably didn't even know we needed him," Masterson grumbled.

"He won't have come alone," Tallert pointed out. "Do we know how many he has with him?"

Geffroy was already on his way towards the door. "No, but keep her in lockdown here. If Phelps comes we'll need them both in this room anyway."

Tallert shot him a dark look. "Where are you going?"

"To handle the situation."

Geffroy didn't give Tallert a chance to question him again. He was gone, and as Gina turned her gaze on her former teacher he met her gaze. "Don't be a fool, Gina."

"McCready made plenty of bad calls with Jacob, but he knew we made a hell of a team." She tilted her head, her lips stretching into a dangerous smile. "You've lost, Tallert. The question is if you want to get out alive or not."

Masterson snorted behind her and she saw the shift in Tallert's gaze, and in that moment, she didn't think he'd stop her. He'd ride it out to see who came out on top, and Gina didn't have a question about that. She landed a hard kick into Masterson's gut, sparking the fight she had been waiting for.

* * *

Liz shifted in her position outside of the campus. They'd taken cover in the woods there, waiting for the signal from Aram and the others that Tom and Samar had gotten in and gotten their signal booster in place. Once they did they would get the doors open and could control the security feeds and any number of other gadgets inside of the compound. It gave them their best chance.

"He'll be fine." She turned, finding Nez's gaze on her and the other woman smirked. "Your husband's a stubborn bastard."

"I'll second that," Solomon grumbled on her other side.

"Believe me, I know it," Liz answered softly. "I should have gone in with him."

"You two would have worried more about each other than the mission," Katarina pointed out from her place next to Scottie who looked just as worried as Liz felt.

Liz watched her mother carefully. She still didn't know for sure why she was there. To protect her? Maybe, but it was strange that she would be so determined to throw herself into this if she didn't have a piece of information that the rest of them didn't have. Just like Reddington. Those two must have been one hell of a match in their day.

Any question that might have found its way from her lips was instantly swallowed at the sound of a gunshot deeper in the words, the same direction that Ressler had stepped away towards not too long before. Liz was on her feet and racing towards the sound with low protests following after her.

* * *

 **TBC**

 **Notes** : I had some fun with infiltrating St Regis because I didn't actually expect to do it when I started out. I knew this was all going to come to head at the end and there'd be a battle of some kind, but the idea of sending them in seemed impossible. The story had other ideas, as stories do. At least I got to work with some fun match ups to send them in.

The last few weeks have been non-stop busy. I took another step towards deciding if I'm moving out to LA this summer, had a major appliance break (and I'm still dealing with that fun bit), and I wrapped up the first drafter of the rewrite of my pilot episode. I have a few people looking at it now for feedback and there's the briefest moment of reprieve... go figure all I want to do is work on it more lol

This story is almost done though. I'm working on the final chapter I think.

 **Next Time** : Samar and Tom work to get everybody in, Scottie has to trust Katarina, and Gina fights for her life. Fair warning, the next chapter gets pretty violent. Oops?


	16. Inside

**Chapter Sixteen: Inside**

Samar raced through the server stacks, Dumont guiding her in her ear. Left, right, straight through. It wasn't without opposition and Tom was always close enough behind her to have her back if anyone jumped out. She slipped around a server stack, pressing her back to it and ejecting the empty clip from her gun to replace it. "Tom?" she called.

"We're good," she heard from around the corner.

" _Okay, you're gonna take your next right and you'll see a control panel_ ," Dumont's voice rang through the comm and Samar drew a deep breath in.

"Got it," she murmured and took off again. She felt a bullet clip her shoulder and she spun to fire, but the operative was already on his way down, Tom just a few steps behind her with his gun gripped in his left hand. Their eyes met briefly.

" _Samar? Are you okay?_ " Aram asked in her ear, his voice bordering on terrified.

She pressed her finger against the comm. "Yeah, I'm alright. Almost to the console. Are you ready?'

He loosed an audible breath on the other end. " _Yeah_."

Samar made it to the console without any other calls quite so close, even if a couple more shots sounded off behind her. She didn't have time to check and make sure Tom was holding his own, though. If they didn't get the signal boosted neither of them were getting out alive anyway and this whole mission would be stopped before it really began.

"Alright. I'm here."

" _You have the drive?_ "

She fished it out of her jacket pocket. "Yes."

" _Okay, there should be a USB port. Find it. Insert it._ "

"That's it?"

" _Aram and I did the hard part so you wouldn't have to_ ," Dumont chuckled.

"Yeah, you wanna switch places and see which is harder?" Tom asked, suddenly at Samar's back and she felt a little relief flush through her as she glanced back to see he was as whole as he had come in. He offered her a small nod. "Let's get this signal up before they send in the heavy hitters. They're gonna know we're here."

Samar nodded and inserted the drive into the port. The console jumped to life, data flashing across the screen and she took a small step back. "It's in."

" _So are we_ ," Howard's voice filtered through for the first time in a while.

" _Got the whole layout, getting access to the cameras and the security systems_ ," Dumont acknowledged.

Tom came to stand with her, or rather lean carefully against the controls. She shot him a look, but he waved her off. He was functional, even if not necessarily good. "You okay?" he asked softly so that the comm wouldn't pick it up.

Samar reached up to her shoulder, wincing at the gash left by the bullet. "I'm fine."

" _Alright, we've got everything in place,_ " Howard said, pulling both of their attentions back to the comm pieces in their ears. " _You'll have backup on their way_."

Tom glanced at her as he spoke. "Sounds good. Samar and I are heading inwards towards the offices. That's where Geffroy and Tallert will be holding Gina. If you're in the security systems you should be able to get eyes ahead of us so we don't run into too many surprises."

" _No problem, Tom-Tom, I'll -_ "

" _I will,_ " Aram cut Dumont off. " _I've got this. I'll make sure they're safe._ "

Samar wasn't sure what kind of feedback he was getting from the two Halcyon men on the other end of the line, but whatever he felt like he was having to fight against, it didn't last long.

" _Be safe, son_ ," Howard said firmly. " _You've got a little girl here waiting for you and Liz to come home_."

Tom's smile was soft. "Give her a kiss for me, Dad." There was a sound of acknowledgement from the other end and Tom looked to Samar for a quick confirmation. "Alright, Aram. Ready when you are."

* * *

Liz followed the sound the gunshot through the woods, all the urgency she felt for every uncertain piece of this case pushing her feet faster. She gripped her own weapon in hand as she drew closer, hearing the sounds of a scuffle just ahead.

Ressler fought with a young woman dressed in black, and if her fighting style was anything to go by, she was with St Regis. "Hey!" Liz shouted, leveling her gun, and when the girl looked over she saw the same kid she had let go when they rescued Tom.

The girl stopped, frustration clear, and Ressler dragged her arms behind her back behind her and cuffed her there. The look she turned him was vicious.

"There was another one," Ressler said as he motioned and Liz saw the fallen operative. It had been Ressler's gun that went off.

The vacant look in the young operative's eyes gave Liz their answer even as she knelt down to check for a pulse. She shook her head.

"You let me go before," the girl said and Liz looked over. "You know they'll just send me back."

"Back where?" Ressler asked, but the girl wasn't talking to him. Liz knew exactly what she meant, and it was so much of the reason Tom had bent over backwards to make sure they had a safetynet for the kids still in St Regis. She was scared. It was hidden behind layers of self-preservation and determination. And anger. And bitterness. Not for the first time Liz wondered if she would even recognize her husband if she had a way to see back to his years in this place. By the time she had found out who he was there were still traces of what she was seeing here, but he had already wanted and hoped for more. This girl didn't have the experience to know that was even possible.

"That's not going to happen," Liz promised. She caught the girl's gaze. "We won't let it."

"You're a fed, even if you married him. You're still going to shut our school down. Tell yourself what you want, but that puts us all in just as bad or worse places than before."

Liz pulled in a breath, searching for the right words to argue the point and convince the girl. Behind her a twig snapped and she and Ressler both had their guns aimed at the noise.

Nez Rowan raised her hands, palms outward. "Just wanted to make sure you two didn't get yourselves killed."

Liz loosed the breath again, relief sweeping through her. "Yeah, we're good here."

"You won't be," the girl warned and Liz squeezed her eyes shut for half a beat before turning on her, locking a dangerous look on the young operative.

"Gina Zanetakos brought you in, didn't she?" She waited for the surprised, small nod of affirmation. "So she pulled you out of whatever hell you were in, and you're just going to leave her to the wolves, huh?"

"And what are you people going to do to help her?"

"If Tom gets his way, save her life," Nez said from behind Liz.

"This is happening if you fight us on it or not," Liz said, her voice a little quieter now, but still firm. She watched a little of the anger fade from the girl's eyes as she looked at the women in front of her and Liz took a careful step forward.

"So what happens to me now?"

"We have people that will take you in," Nez answered her.

Ressler relinquished the girl and Liz started to move with them to give Nez some back up, but the comm buzzed in her ear, her father-in-law's voice echoing over it. " _Tom and Samar made it in. Is everyone ready?_ "

" _Going in now,_ " Katarina acknowledged over the line.

"Go," Nez said. "Solomon and I will be just a couple minutes behind."

Liz looked to Ressler who shot her a look. "Unless you want your mother and Tom's to be their only backup," he pointed out.

She sighed, reaching to her comm. "On our way, Howard."

* * *

Scottie had felt the relief sweep through her at the word that Tom had made it in and was alright. For now, she reminded herself. If the rest of them didn't pull through, it wouldn't matter. She reached up to the comm in her ear as she and Katarina neared their entrance. "Howard, where is Tom now? Kat and I will meet him there."

" _He's on his way to the offices. He thinks that's where they'll be._ "

"We'll meet him there," Katarina answered before Scottie could. "Howard, I'm calling a favour with you."

" _I wasn't aware I was in your debt, Katarina_ ," Howard answered tightly.

The redheaded woman's lips tilted at the corners. "Get Masha through safely."

" _Dumont is more than capable of -_ "

"I'll keep your wife safe. You keep my daughter safe."

Scottie risked a look at her old friend. She was up to something, she just wasn't sure what yet. A moment of indecision passed, then another, and the longer this went on the more danger everyone was in. "We're alright, Howard. Katarina and I have always done well together, and if anything happens to Elizabeth…"

" _I know_ ," her husband's soft acknowledgement came through. " _Nez and Solomon were delayed. If you need any help, Dumont is free._ "

The connection ended and Scottie turned to Katarina. "What was that about?"

"Do you trust me?"

"No."

Katarina flashed her a grin at that. "Do you trust me to protect my family?"

" _Our_ family," Scottie corrected.

"Our family," she agreed.

Scottie loosed a breath. "What do you have planned?"

"We need to find Michel Geffroy before that slippery bastard gets away." Katarina didn't offer any more than that as she started down the hall.

* * *

Justin Masterson had been a decent operative, but he had always been better in his own mind than he was in the field. It left him with the kind of ego to support the bluff that talked him out of a lot of situations that would have otherwise gotten him killed, but Gina knew him. There was no talking, no bluffing, nothing. There was only every inch of what had happened over the last few months coming down on him and him alone as she made sure that there would be no arrogant remarks through broken teeth or a chance of escape as she slammed her boot down against his knee, hearing a satisfying _pop_ that left him howling.

He thought he was good, but she knew she was better.

Gina stood over the injured man that had once been her colleague and a weak chuckle escaped him. "All this for Phelps?" he asked, catching her eye.

"Is that what you think?" she asked, amusement lining her own voice as she squatted down. "This is for me."

He swung up, nearly catching her and Gina lost her balance as she dodged, landing hard on the floor. She could feel Tallert watching the skirmige from the other side of the room. The longer this went on, the more worn out she would be, and if he decided that he wanted a go at her she'd be fighting at a bigger disadvantage than she would have earlier. It was time to put her anger aside and finish this. Maybe, just maybe, she would have a chance of convincing Tallert that he was on the losing side.

Gina popped to her feet even as Masterson came at her. He caught her slamming her back and hard into the desk, his hands going for her throat. She reached blindly over, her fingers latching onto a heavy bookend, and she didn't give him the chance to get a good enough hold to do any damage as she kicked a knee hard into his middle, knocking him back just enough to slam the bookend into his head as hard as she could. He reeled back and she took another swing, taking fully to the ground.

She straightened, pushing blonde curls out of her face. "Told you I'd kill you too," she managed through deep breaths.

"Gina."

She turned, readying herself for whatever would come from Tallert.

She hadn't expected the gun. The man hated firearms.

That was the lingering thought as the gun went off and she met his eyes for one long moment that felt like it had been paused as the rest of time marched forward. His expression didn't change as Gina fell to the floor of the office.

* * *

There weren't nearly as many operatives as she had expected, but St Regis had always relied heavily on secrecy and loyalty to protect their home base. It had worked for a long time. Katarina wasn't entirely sure when everything had been knocked so far off kilter, but she had a suspicion that it started when a young operative that had called himself Jacob Phelps had chosen to break away for his mark. Their top operative had left, and McCready half haphazardly gone after him and met his own end because of it. Jacob Phelps' choice had snowballed to where they found themselves that day, and to where Katarina knew it had to end.

Michel Geffroy was heading their direction as Katarina and Scottie rounded into the hall. Both women moved on instinct, flattening themselves against either side of the hall entrance to wait.

Geffroy passed through and they moved, Scottie pulling the gun from his hand as Katarina leveled her own in his face. He met her eyes, the steely expression proving he knew who she was and why she had sought him out. "You've lost," she warned him.

"It was a gamble, though one that would have paid off. For what it's worth, we would have waited."

"For your own benefit," Katarina growled, and until that moment she hadn't let herself admit just how angry she was. She was going to enjoy this.

"Kat," Scottie called, pulling the other woman from what had turned into a private conversation.

Katarina's lips tilted upward. "I don't think you've met your wayward student's mother. Would you like to tell her what you had planned for our shared granddaughter or should I?"

That's all it really took, and Katarina had known it. Scottie's expression darkened before hardening and she took a step closer, proving herself at least an inch or two taller than Geffroy in her boots.

The man snorted. "What's there to say? Phelps was the best McCready brought in, despite what happened. He made more money for our organization than any three of his peers put together. Then the man had a child with Katarina Rostova's daughter… She would have blown her father's record away in her first year out."

"You went after my granddaughter to turn her into what you couldn't get from my son?" Scottie asked dangerously.

Geffroy shrugged. "Rumour has it there was a day you would have done anything for your organization, Ms Hargrave."

"Do you see?" Katarina asked, pressing her gun to Geffroy's temple. To his credit, he didn't flinch.

Scottie reached over, her palm pushing the weapon away. Katarina's questioned died on her lips as dark brown eyes drilled into the man whose fate had already been sealed. "I want you to know how badly you failed. Not only did you lose Agnes and her father, but you've lost this organization and all the students here. Your operatives will scatter, most into oblivion, just like you."

Geffroy opened his mouth to respond, but the words didn't make it from his throat as Scottie stepped back, leveled her gun, and put three bullets into his chest.

The two former operatives stood over their granddaughter's would-be kidnapper, a sense of triumph between them as he slipped down the wall. He looked up and Katarina tilted her chin up as she watched the life fade.

* * *

They had made it into the office buildings with less opposition than they faced in the server room. Aram had said something about Dumont locking down certain sections of the campus. So that if there were operatives or students in the building they wouldn't get out. It opened more pathways than they may have had otherwise and Tom had to remind himself that the end might be in sight, but they weren't there yet.

" _Agent Ressler and Agent Keen are just ahead_ ," Aram said over the comm. " _Mr Hargrave is trying to get them into the inner offices._ "

"He doesn't need to. I got it," Tom answered and Samar shot him a questioning look as they rounded the corner and found Liz and Ressler on the other end.

Liz turned as they approached and Tom felt a smile tug into place as his pace quickened. She met him halfway and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He heard the soft laugh as her fingernails scratched against the rough material of the protective vest he wore. Every injury ached at the movement, but it didn't matter. She was there and she was safe. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head before releasing her.

"Any word from the others?" Samar asked as Tom moved past Ressler towards the door. He ignored the look he received as he keyed in a code that Bud should have wiped out ages ago. If he hadn't taken him off of the protocol for accessing the school's files, the likelihood was he hadn't taken him off of this either. Tom still wasn't sure what to make of it yet. Death hadn't made his relationship with his mentor any less complicated.

"Nez and Solomon were behind in getting inside. We ran into some trouble Nez needed to handle," Liz answered. "We haven't heard from my mother or Scottie yet."

The door buzzed open and Tom felt Ressler's gaze on him. "Someday you're going to have to tell me how two people that tried to kill you for leaving left you with full access to their compound."

Tom snorted, the sound amuses, but he didn't get the chance to respond. A gunshot sounded from the other end of the hall, grabbing all four people's attention, and he felt a sense of dread settle in as they took off towards it.

* * *

 **TBC**

 **Notes** : I have officially finished the writing on this story. All that's left is to edit down and post the last chapter before next week. It hasn't been an easy story to write, but I'm very happy with the end product.

This chapter and the one before it wwere especially fun to write with the different characters working together and the different combinations there. Until canon proves me wrong I will continue to be convinced that Scottie and Katarina would be a killer duo. Literally.

 **Next Time** : Tom and the others race to Gina's aid as St Regis comes to a close and loose ends are tied up.


	17. Family

**Chapter Seventeen: Family**

Tom raced down the hall, gun gripped tightly in his good hand as he rounded the corner. Gina Zanetakos lay sprawled out on the floor of Bud's old office. In the corner, desperately trying to level a gun he wasn't comfortable using, stood Tallert. Tom didn't hesitate.

The shot went off and Tallert went down hard. Tom pulled in a breath as Liz and her team rounded into the room behind him. He heard his wife cure softly behind as he moved towards Gina.

A set of brown eyes met his own blue and Gina grimaced. "Bastard shot me," she managed and Tom snorted.

"Good thing he's a crap shot or he might have killed you."

Gina squeezed her eyes closed and let out a frustrated groan, her opposite hand going to her bleeding shoulder.

"She alright?" Ressler asked from behind and Tom heard him kick Tallert's gun out of reach.

Tom looked to his injured former partner and she glared back. "You're an idiot for coming."

"Would have been if I'd come alone," he countered and lifted a hand to the comm in his ear. "Where are we?"

" _Still trying to get ahold of your mother and Katarina,_ " Howard huffed in his ear. " _If you have the offices secured, we should be good to bring in reinforcements._ "

"Do it," Ressler gave the order.

Tom found Liz's eyes on him and she knelt down with him. "I'm not saying that you won't get the intel, but the moment this place is swarmed with federal agents…"

"It has to be processed," Tom acknowledged softly. He looked over as Gina started to sit up. "What-?"

"You think I want St Regis' intel in the feds' hands even if they can't access it?"

Tom swallowed his protest. It was pointless and they both knew it, so instead he reached down to help her to her feet. She glared at him as if daring him to try her in anything else and moved painfully towards the computer.

He watched her blood-covered fingers tap in a code into the computer and it whirled, waiting for her to press her thumb to the reader. As it identified her she took a step back, grimacing as she did, and looked towards him.

Tom felt rooted to the floor where he was, watching as the old computer called for him to key in his own code. He'd had it committed to memory from the moment that Bud had given it to him. Twenty-one years old and he'd just saved the man's life in Cape Town. Jacob Phelps had limped his way into this very office and the man that had pulled him from the streets and given him purpose had told him that he'd earned this. That he trusted him. It had meant more than Tom ever would have admitted - even to himself - at the time, but as he stood there that day, over a decade and betrayals on both sides later, he felt the weight of at least a piece of that trust that had lingered. He might have been Bud's greatest disappointment, but that was only because he'd once been his greatest pride. Maybe even the old man had a little sentiment.

"Any time," Gina groused from her place, shaking Tom from his thoughts and he stepped forward. His fingers moved over the code and he carefully pressed the thumb of his injured hand to the reader. The old computer thought about it, and for a long moment he wondered if maybe they'd gotten it wrong. Maybe Bud meant to take it all to the grave with him after all.

Then the screen flashed, accessing the documents inside. He could feel all eyes on him as he worked his way through the old system and then disconnected the drive that actually held the information. He pulled in a deep breath.

"Are we good?" Ressler asked from his place.

"Yeah. We're good."

Liz reached out to him, her touch gentle on his arm. "Let's get out of here."

His gaze lingered on her a moment before he nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

The complex was swarming with FBI, SWAT, and Halcyon operatives. Transportation vehicles and medical vehicles had pulled in once the all clear had been given, and Liz barely had to take an intentional moment to breathe in the middle of it all, blue gaze sweeping the organized chaos. Ressler was coordinating the arrests with Samar's help, and a quick glance over showed Nez and Solomon had caught up with Scottie Hargrave, and the three of them were spearheading the underaged students' transport to Halcyon. From there they would work with social workers that Scottie had approved, and do what they could to give the kids a fighting chance outside of the system that had failed them. To give them the chance that Tom hadn't had as a child. Or Gina, for that matter, Liz thought begrudgingly. She hadn't expected her to come through, but the woman had. Strangely enough Ressler hadn't even mentioned a formal arrest for the injured operative.

"Quite an ending to your husband's plan."

"We all put it together," Liz said as she turned to find her mother smiling at her. "Including you."

Katarina Rostova quirked an eyebrow. "Someone had to make sure you came through it in one piece, but don't expect me to play the same game Raymond did with you. I have no interest playing nice with the feds."

Liz felt her own lips tug at the corners. "Your daughter is a federal agent," she pointed out.

"So she is," her mother said softly, and Liz thought she might have heard just a little bit of pride there. If it was for her career choices despite everything or for the woman that she had become against the odds, Liz didn't know.

She pursed her lips together. "Is that why you stayed? To protect me? It's over. The least you could do is tell me."

Katarina pulled in a deep breath and Liz watched her, feeling like she was balanced on the edge of some truth and uncertain if she should risk truly hoping for it.

"Yes. You and your family." Her gaze darted past Liz to the complex behind her. "Geffroy wouldn't have stopped. Even I knew your husband's reputation as an operative, even if not his name. Powerful entities don't just let their top operatives walk."

"In your experience?" Liz asked softly.

Her mother gave a dry chuckle at that. "In my experience, and I didn't want it to be yours the day that they came to take your daughter away."

Liz was moving before she'd given herself permission to, and she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, pulling her in and refusing to let go. Katarina stiffened at first, uncertain, but Liz felt her return the embrace slowly, sinking into it. "I do love you, Masha," she murmured. "You're the only one I've ever known for sure that I love."

"Maybe not the only one," Liz whispered, her voice rough against her throat and she felt Katarina's hand move to stroke her hair in a gesture that felt strangely familiar from her. Old, but familiar. It was everything Liz could do to pull away to meet her eyes. "If I ask you something, can you be honest?"

Katarina tilted her head at that. "I just was."

Liz laughed. "And I only get one truth from you at a time?"

Her mother's expression softened. "What do you want to know?"

"Dom Wilkenson." Katarina stiffened, her gaze fixed on Liz, but her daughter didn't back down. "Who is he really to you?"

* * *

Tom pushed himself off of the back of the ambulance, injuries freshly wrapped and braced, and he felt like someone had used him as their personal punching bag for the past twenty-four hours or so. He hurt. To his core. If given half the chance he thought he'd crawl into his own bed and sleep for as long as his body would let him. That wasn't an option, though. In the wake of everything, there was too much to be done.

But they had won, and that helped in ways painkillers and fresh bandages never could. His family was safe and they were all out alive and mostly intact.

He glanced over to where they were working on Gina's shoulder. His old partner was seated on a lowered gourney, never lying down for them them. If the glimpses he'd gotten around the EMT working on his wrist were anything to go by she had been fighting them the whole way. Now, though, she looked like she was really giving him hell, and he excused himself as he started towards her.

Gina turned a dangerous glare on him. "I'm not going anywhere with these people."

"Yes you are," Tom said flatly and looked to the shaken EMT. "Give us a second?"

She nodded eagerly and left the two former St Regis operatives as alone as they could be on the outskirts of everything. Tom couldn't help the small smile that tugged at him, but Gina's glare didn't let up. "You think I don't know what your little ginger fed is trying to pull?"

Tom glanced at Ressler. The man was too busy coordinating the arrests of the staff that had spent decades training some of the most dangerous criminals the world didn't even know. Gina was the last thing on his mind.

He loosed a breath. "You really think I'd come in for you just to hand you over to the feds?"

"Send me to the hospital and they'll arrest me there."

"Good thing you're going to a Halcyon facility then, isn't it?"

He watched the angry mask crack ever so slightly. It felt familiar: the balance between trust and self preservation. They'd spent their lives in that place. He had learned to let a few people in, to trust them at every side, and he hoped - at least for her sake - that she was able to do the same someday. Maybe he could help her with that.

Tom cleared his throat, running a hand through his dark hair and standing it on end. "I didn't want to… ask before we actually managed to pull it off, but -"

"Sometime today?" she prompted impatiently.

He pulled in a deep, steadying breath, doing his best not to wince as he did. "I could use you at Halcyon." She stared at him. "To help with implementing everything."

Finally she blinked at him. "You want me to come work for you?"

"That's the offer."

"And if I don't -"

"Then you don't. No strings."

She tilted her head a little, considering. "Does the wife know?"

Tom glanced over to where Liz was standing with her mother, the two women in deep conversation. "She'll be okay with it."

Gina chuckled at that and eased herself down on the gurney. "No, she wouldn't be."

"You don't know her like I do. She trusts me."

"I'm sure she does." A rough chuckle left her. "Tom."

He'd never heard his name sound so much like a goodbye before. An acknowledgement that, even after all they had been through, this wouldn't work long-term. He might be able to do it, but she couldn't. She wouldn't. He ducked his head a little. "Well, the offer's there if you change your mind. Take care of yourself, Gina."

He turned, but felt her fingers take hold of his wrist. Blue eyes found brown and there was a strange moment of openness in them. "You too," she said before releasing him to get back to the work at hand.

* * *

It was everything he could do not to rush down the stairs and meet her at the door the moment that they had arrived. There was still plenty to do from their end to make sure that everything that had happened was logged and filed and covered as much as any of their cases could be. Aram found himself staring at the computer screen blankly, Halcyon's New York opscenter busy just outside of the conference room door. Dumont sat across from him with Howard at the end of the table with Agnes waiting almost as impatiently as Aram felt from her place that she had claimed on the floor. Howard snapped his laptop closed, drawing Aram's attention immediately.

"Home?" Agnes asked, looking up at her grandfather.

Howard smiled. "Yes they are, Princess. You ready to go see them?"

She nodded enthusiastically and Aram glanced through the glass door to see their people coming down the hall. Howard tugged the door open and Agnes shot through it, calling for her mom and dad as she did, and Liz intercepted her and picked her up as Tom leaned in to join the family hug, Scottie patting her son's arm and kissing her granddaughter's cheek before moving towards Howard. Just behind her Aram saw the woman he had been looking for.

Samar broke her conversation with Nez Rowan and Aram felt his chest tighten. Her arm was bandaged and before he gave himself permission he was moving towards her, his fingers brushing the dressing carefully. "You said you were okay."

Her laugh helped ease some of the tension he felt and he found her dark gaze on him, a smile tilting her lips upward, and she reached up to his face. "I'm okay," she promised and guided him in. Her lips brush his and he leaned into it, the kiss banishing the rest of his fears. Samar's opposite hand moved to find his, her fingers curling around his and he held on like his life depended on it. She was safe. They had gone into an impossible situation and had come out the other side of it. He knew they faced impossibilities nearly every day, but there were moments when he worried they might not come out on the other end.

He broke the kiss abruptly, receiving a startled sound from the woman he loved, and Aram held up one finger as if to motion to give him a moment. He could feel Samar's confused gaze follow him back into the conference room where his bag sat under the table where he had been working. He knelt down, digging through it until long fingers finally tapped a small box. He swallowed hard, steeling his nerves, and grabbed it.

The Keens and the Hargraves had disappeared by the time he reemerged, Nez Rowan and Matias Solomon on their way with Dumont in the opposite direction, and Ressler was on a phone call a few steps down the hall. Samar hadn't moved an inch, but she did look curious as he approached.

Aram dropped to one knee in front of her before he somehow talked himself out of it. With a deep breath he produced the box, popping it open to reveal his grandmother's ring. Samar's eyes widened as he held it up, the words tumbling from his mouth like water breaking through a dam. "My grandmother wanted you to have this, and I've been…. I was going to give it to you then, but Ressler saw it and said that you thought it'd be an engagement ring and I… It doesn't matter. I've been thinking about it. A lot, and I realized that _I_ want it to be an engagement ring. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life with you, Samar, and I want to marry you… if you, uh... " _If you'll have me,_ he wanted to say, but Samar was already reaching for him.

She pulled him up to his feet. "Yes."

"Yes?" he managed, not sure if he heard her right, and her lips quirked at the corners.

"Yes. I want to marry you."

She took the ring from him, slipping it onto her left hand. It fit perfectly. Aram felt a grin of his own take over and he leaned in, kissing her again.

* * *

He had barely stopped since Liz and the others had rescued him. He had been unconscious, sure, but the danger had still lurked all around them when he woke and he had hit the ground running.

There was something comforting in walking through the doors of Halcyon's former headquarters, the op finished, and having their little girl to meet them.

Agnes had been ready to launch herself into her daddy's arms, and Tom would have let her. Liz intercepted and pulled her up. She had spent the trip down the hall and up to the office alternating between clinging to her mother and trying to squirm to get to Tom. It left him with that warmth that had started to follow the end of whatever new disaster made it to their doorstep. They were safe. They were whole.

The office door closed behind him and Tom looked around, surrounded by family. He felt a smile tug into place.

Howard reached forward and pulled him into a surprising hug. A laugh left on a breath as Tom returned it, reaching out blindly to pull Scottie into it. "Thank you," he murmured, the words rough.

His father tightened his hold. "You're our boy. We're with you."

Tom pulled back, swallowing hard, and he looked between the people that, in their own ways, had fought like hell for him. He tried for a smile. "I know."

"Tom," Scottie started, but he cut her off.

"I'll think about it."

"About what?" Howard asked.

"Trying to recover my memories from when I was a kid."

"You don't have to do that," Scottie said softly, her hand against his arm. "You were right. It's in the past. We have each other now, and that's what matters."

He squeezed his eyes shut, mind whirling and thoughts fighting over each other. "It won't fix it, but maybe it'll give you some peace."

When he opened them he found his mother staring a little bleary-eyed at him. She reached up, her hand in his cheek, before she leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

Howard cleared his throat, though his own voice still struggled. "Thank you, son."

Tom nodded.

"Hey," Liz said softly from behind them, and she shifted a sleepy Agnes in her arms. "We need to get on the road."

"Right, we're-"

"Katarina told me," Scottie said, and he couldn't quite tell if she was amused at or proud of her old friend. "Go. We'll make sure the loose ends are tied up."

Tom's lips tilted in a tired smile. "Thanks. Don't give Ressler too much hell."

"Give 'em hell," Agnes mumbled from where she had all but melted over her mother's shoulder.

Howard snorted a laugh. "You better watch yourself. They repeat everything at her age."

"Don't we know it?" Liz huffed.

Tom flashed a sheepish grin at that and turned. They had one more thing they needed to do before they could go home. They had put it off too long.

* * *

Agnes had crashed out halfway through the flight from New York to DC and she had barely budged as her parents had gotten her situated in the back of the car for the drive that would take them out of the city. Tom didn't look far behind her, the last pain pill he'd popped leaving him more drained than they usually did, and Liz had snatched the keys from him. Not that he'd put up much of a fight.

She had thought he was sleeping until she heard a soft voice from the passenger's seat. "I'm sorry."

Liz risked a glance over to find a set of dark blue eyes she knew so well watching her. "For what?"

"Everything," he murmured and she saw him grimace as he straightened a little in his seat. "This… everything."

"Is she asleep?" Liz asked, nodding back towards their daughter.

"Yeah."

She pulled in a breath, gaze focused on the road ahead of them. "My mother told me something… I don't know if Scottie plans on telling you or not, but you should know." She felt Tom's hand against her arm and she loosed her grip on the wheel with her right hand and found his. "Geffroy was coming for Agnes. If you hadn't gone after St Regis it might have happened later, but it would have happened. That's why my mother wanted to go in."

"I didn't see his name on the arrest list," Tom acknowledged. "They take care of him?"

There was no judgement in his voice, and why would there be? She knew he would have done the same in their shoes. Her mother and his did what either of them would have: protected their family. "Yeah."

She heard him sigh, his fingers tightening around hers just a little. "Good."

There was a long moment of silence between them, the tires on the road the only sound to break it. She risked another glance to make sure he hadn't dozed off before speaking. "I'm proud of you."

Her husband perked a little. "Why's that?"

"What you're doing for your parents. I know how… hard it is for you." He had warned her years ago now that he was a runner, and it had always been true. He didn't always run away from things, but he barreled ahead. The past was the past and he preferred to leave it there. To choose to dive in and risk reopening wounds that had festered for most of his life for the sake of others' happiness - someone other than her or for Agnes - reminded her of just how far he'd come in the last few years.

Tom sighed. "I was thinking about… how hard it was for you. All the questions you had with Reddington. Finding the answers didn't fix any of the wrongs. Not his or your mom's, but it helped, I think?"

"It did," she murmured.

He leaned over and lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Maybe it'll help them get some peace from it."

"I hope so, but…. No matter what comes from it, I'm with you."

Tom squeezed her hand. "I know. Love you."

"Love you too."

They took a turn down the old road and she felt her chest clench. He pulled himself fully up in the seat, finally releasing her. "You think she'll still be there?"

"I hope she is."

"Think she's told him?"

Liz snorted. "I wouldn't count on my mother making anything easy."

They turned into he long driveway and she saw a car there. She hadn't left yet. At least there was that. She pulled in a steadying breath.

Tom turned to rouse Agnes. "Hey, kiddo. Time to wake up."

"Why?" Agnes groused sleepily and Liz saw the front door to the house open, an older man stepping out like he'd been waiting on them. Maybe Katarina had told him after all.

"Because we're going with your mom to meet her grandpa," Liz heard her husband say as she pushed the door open. She felt like she was moving on auto-pilot towards a man that must have known exactly who she was. Dom Wilkenson stood on his doorstep and he looked like he'd been crying. Happy tears, she hoped.

"Hello, Masha," he greeted and Tom came to stand with her, Agnes in his arms. Liz felt rooted in place, her voice caught deep in her throat. She'd known even before Katarina had confirmed his identity, but as she stood there, her grandfather calling her birth name, she found herself at a loss for words.

Katarina appeared behind him. "Are you going to stand there all day?" she demanded playfully.

"I'm right behind you," Tom murmured, his encouragement breaking through as he shifted Agnes in his arms so that he could slip one supportive hand into hers.

Liz tried for a smile as she felt hot, happy tears slip down her cheeks as she started forward. "Hi," she finally answered Dom and the old man broke into a warm chuckle that somehow felt familiar. She followed him into his home, feeling a sense of victory washing over her. They had fought and won a war, it was true. They had beaten back their enemies and come out on top and a little safer than they had been before, but here, today, she found herself getting a little closer to the prize she had been chasing after for so long. All those years wanting - _needing_ \- a family around her. She'd found them and they had found her. The journey wasn't over, but despite the trials, she felt a little more whole with every triumph.

* * *

 **End.**

 **Notes** : And so it finally comes to an end... that's such a strange feeling, especially since I haven't immediately started on another one. I do have plans for a new story, but I'm going to take my time with it. For those interested the gist is that that Red saves Tom's life in S5, but he tries to have his memories altered so that Tom won't remember what he found out about the bones and things go terribly awry when Tom loses about a decade's worth of memories that puts him back to where he was before he met Liz. I'm very fond of the idea, but since I'm working on my original project right now and applying for some writing fellowships this spring, the focus has to be there. In the meantime, if you have any requests for my Keen2 oneshot collection Truth in the Lies, feel free to leave a review over there and make the request. If I can, I'll write a one shot for it :D

I hope you guys enjoyed this story. There were a few moments where it felt like pulling teeth just to get the story kicked into gear. Here we are, though, and I'm pretty happy with it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! If you have any, please drop me a note in the reviews or even a PM. I love hearing from you guys. Major shoutout to my beta Whimsy, to Becca who I think left a review for every chapter, and the others who left reviews both on and off their own accounts. You guys are the best and I love you 3

Hope to see you for the next story!

TS


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